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Shane Lyons is out as West Virginia University’s athletic director, the university announced Monday morning. However football coach Neal Brown’s job remains safe, at least for now.
Lyons, a Parkersburg native, took the WVU AD job in 2015 after serving as Alabama’s deputy AD.
"I deeply appreciate Shane's leadership over the past eight years and I wish him well," WVU President E. Gordon Gee said. "But with the ever-changing landscape of intercollegiate athletics, I believe this is an opportunity to bring a fresh perspective to our program."
The University has retained the search firm Turnkey ZRG to assist in hiring a new athletic director with the goal of having a new director in place within three to four weeks. Rob Alsop will serve as interim athletic director until a new hire is made.
Alsop served on WVU's Board of Governors in 2013 before joining the University the next year as vice president for legal and governmental affairs and entrepreneurial engagement. He was named vice president for strategic initiatives in 2017. A two-time graduate of WVU, including the College of Law, Alsop oversees areas such as auxiliary and business services, corporate and government relations, dining services, talent and culture, and information technology services.
He also has been involved in the major planning for Athletics capital projects including renovations to the Milan Puskar Center and Mylan Park Track and Aquatic Center, navigating through the COVID-19 pandemic and collaborating on key decisions relating to athletics' major partners such as Learfield.
"I am confident that Rob will lead and assist our coaches, student-athletes and staff during this turning point," Gee said. "I also know that he will lay the pathways necessary for a new athletic director to make a seamless transition into the role."
WVU’s struggles in football since Lyons hired Neal Brown to replace Dana Holgorsen were at least part of the catalyst for the change. Since taking over in 2019, Brown has never won more than six games in a season and is 1-1 in bowl games. He is 21-24 overall and 13-20 in the Big 12 at WVU.
Yet Gee also announced that there would be no changes to the football program made in the coming weeks. WVU has two regular-season games remaining — home versus Kansas State on Saturday and at Oklahoma State on Nov. 26.
"We are supporting Coach Neal Brown and our team as we complete our season over the next few weeks," Gee said. "We are aware there are some deficiencies, but we have not given up on the coach and the team, and they have not given up on each other. The evaluation of the football program will be the first task of our new athletic director and no changes will be made until that review has been completed."