Sources: Lyons out as WVU AD amid struggles

West Virginia has agreed to abstracted with diversion manager Shane Lyons, sources told ESPN. Lyons has been West Virginia's diversion manager since 2015, but a operation of fund issues and the school's struggling shot programme led to a alteration successful direction. The schoolhouse has not made a determination connected manager Neal Brown's future, sources told ESPN.

Lyons' departure highlights Brown's uncertain presumption arsenic he's 21-24 successful 4 seasons and is 1 nonaccomplishment from clinching the program's 3rd losing play successful his 4 years.

Brown did topple Oklahoma to drawback WVU's nine-game losing streak to the Sooners, but astatine 4-6 the Mountaineers stay a agelong changeable to scope a vessel game.

Lyons is expected to beryllium replaced connected an interim ground by Rob Alsop, who is the school's vice president for strategical initiatives, sources told ESPN. The placement of idiosyncratic from assemblage president Gordon Gee's enforcement unit is an indicator of however distinctly the schoolhouse wants to alteration directions.

The schoolhouse is expected to instantly statesman an diversion manager search, with the prosecute expected to travel rapidly if the schoolhouse does marque a alteration successful shot coach. It has go a communal inclination successful caller years to expedite a hunt and fto the caller AD beryllium paired with a caller manager they assistance choose.

Brown's buyout if dismissed aft the regular play -- expected to beryllium astir $17 cardinal -- looms implicit the departure of Lyons. Although determination is offset successful the declaration that could lessen that magnitude for WVU, determination has been assertive second-guessing of WVU giving Brown an hold successful April 2021, erstwhile Brown had a grounds of 11-11. That pushed his woody done 2026 and guaranteed a ample information of the contract.

If WVU moves connected from Brown successful this cycle, it volition beryllium a important fiscal strain connected the diversion department. One of the criticisms of Lyons is that helium wasn't originative and assertive capable successful uncovering caller gross streams, truthful idiosyncratic with a beardown concern inheritance mightiness beryllium coveted successful the hunt for WVU's adjacent diversion director.

Lyons is simply a well-respected head who came to West Virginia from Alabama, wherever helium had served arsenic lawman diversion manager 2011-15. Lyons' vocation includes aggregate prestigious appointments, arsenic helium has chaired the Big 12 diversion directors, served connected the NCAA Division I Council and the NCAA's shot oversight committee. He's besides a portion of the existent roster connected the NCAA translation committee.

Alsop, the interim AD, comes from a governmental background. He's a West Virginia graduate, arsenic an undergraduate and for instrumentality school. He has worked successful assorted roles for Earl Ray Tomblin and Joe Manchin erstwhile they served arsenic politician of West Virginia.