Lyons out as West Virginia AD in the middle of struggles

9:00 AM ET Pete ThamelESPN West Virginia has agreed to separate with athletic director Shane Lyons, who has been at the school given that 2015. A combination of budget problems and the school’s having a hard time football program led to a reversal. The school has actually not selected coach Neal Brown’s future, sources informed ESPN.Lyons’ departure highlights Brown’s unsure status as he is 21-24 in 4 seasons and one loss from clinching the program’s third

losing record in his four years.Brown toppled Oklahoma to snap WVU’s nine-game losing streak to the Sooners, but at 4-6 the Mountaineers remain a long shot to reach a championship game.

The school revealed that Lyons has actually been replaced on an interim basis by Rob Alsop, its vice president for tactical efforts. The positioning of someone from university president Gordon Gee’s executive personnel shows how definitely the school wants to alter directions.The school stated Gee plans to work with a brand-new athletic director quickly. The hire is anticipated to come quickly if the school does make a modification at football coach. It has ended up being a typical trend over the last few years to accelerate a search and pair the new advertisement with a brand-new coach they help choose.Brown’s buyout if dismissed after the routine season– anticipated to be almost$17 million– towers above the departure of Lyons. Although there is offset language in the agreement that could decrease that amount for WVU, there has actually been aggressive second-guessing of the school providing Brown an extension in April 2021, when he had a record of 11-11. That pressed his offer through 2026 and guaranteed a big part of the contract.If WVU moves on from Brown in this cycle, it will be a significant financial pressure on the athletic department. One of the criticisms of Lyons is that he wasn’t creative and aggressive enough in finding new revenue streams, so someone with a strong business background may be wished for in the look for WVU’s athletic director.Lyons is a well-respected administrator who concerned West Virginia from Alabama, where he had actually worked as deputy athletic director from 2011 to 2015. Lyons’career consists of numerous prominent visits, as he has chaired the Big 12 athletic directors group and served on the NCAA Department I Council and its football oversight committee. He’s likewise a part of the NCAA improvement committee.Alsop, the interim advertisement, originates from a political background. He earned undergraduate and law school degrees from West Virginia. He has actually worked in different roles for Earl Ray Tomblin and Joe Manchin in their previous terms as state guv.