WVU Football

Former West Virginia running back Justin Crawford was sentenced to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to child molestation and sodomy on Tuesday. 

WRBL reported the news, noting Crawford was arrested in October 2018 and was facing felony charges of incest, child molestation, sodomy and enticing a child for indecent purpose before the plea deal. 

Per Yahoo's Jack Baer, Crawford admitted to police he sexually assaulted a 12-year-old girl.

Prosecutors reached a plea deal with Crawford on Tuesday at Muscogee County Court in Georgia, and he will serve 12 years in prison as well as 20 years of probation, per TMZ Sports.

He played at West Virginia in 2016 and 2017 and was invited to Atlanta Falcons training camp. He played for the Atlanta Legends of the Alliance of American Football this year before the league folded.

Troy coach Neal Brown will be the next head coach of the West Virginia Mountaineers, the school announced on Saturday. 

Yahoo Sports' Pete Thamel first reported the move on Friday.

Brown compiled a 35-16 record in four seasons at Troy, winning 10-plus games and earning bowl victories in each of the past three seasons.

Per ESPN's Mark Schlabach, Brown is just one of six FBS coaches to record double-digit wins in each of the past three seasons.

Prior to Brown's arrival, Troy had enjoyed limited success since moving up to the FBS in 2001. The Trojans topped out at nine victories under Larry Blakeney from 2001-14 and had recorded just two bowl victories in five appearances.

Although Brown's first season resulted in a 4-8 record, he was taking over a program that had won just three games in the previous season and had not posted a winning record since 2010.

Brown quickly made Troy relevant in the Sun Belt Conference. An 11-2 performance in 2017 not only earned the Trojans a conference title and a New Orleans Bowl victory, but it also resulted in Brown being named the Sun Belt Coach of the Year.

Brown was previously the offensive coordinator at Texas Tech and Kentucky before Troy gave him his first opportunity to be a head coach.

West Virginia is coming off an 8-4 season under ex-coach Dana Holgorsen. After going 61-41 in eight years on the job in Morgantown, Holgorsen left West Virginia for Houston for a five-year, $20 million contract, with terms detailed by the Houston Chronicle.

The Mountaineers have not won a bowl game since the 2015 campaign and had just two bowl victories in eight seasons under Holgorsen.

Troy head football coach Neal Brown is reportedly expected to become the next head coach at West Virginia.

According to Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports, Brown is favored to replace Dana Holgorsen, who left West Virginia to take the head coaching job at the University of Houston.

Brown has already met twice with WVU officials regarding the vacancy.

The 38-year-old Brown has been the head coach at Troy for four seasons, and he has led the Trojans to the greatest run of success in program history.

Brown owns a 35-16 record, including at least 10 wins in each of the past three seasons. Troy is also a perfect 3-0 in bowl games under Brown.

The Trojans upset LSU en route to an 11-2 finish in 2017, and they went 10-3 in 2018, including a victory over Nebraska.

Prior to taking over as the head coach at Troy, Brown was an offensive coordinator at Texas Tech and his alma mater of Kentucky.

Brown's time at Texas Tech could make him a good fit to continue using the spread offense that has made the Mountaineers so successful in recent years.

If Brown lands the WVU job, he will take over a team that went 8-4 in 2018.

West Virginia has played in a bowl game in each of the past four seasons, but it has lost four of those contests.

The Mountaineers also have just two 10-win seasons since going 11-2 in 2007.

Brown would be taking over a team in transition since he would have to find a replacement quarterback for Will Grier, who is graduating and entering the NFL draft.