Stylistically, WVU senior Garrett Greene is a quarterback with a lot of options available to him.
Known for his ability to carry the run game and bail out his offensive line, Greene often finds himself pressured to do the opposite. 2,406 passing yards, with an average gain of 8.7 per throw last season, is proof that, despite early struggles this year, Greene is more than capable of shining under that pressure.
When pressured to make one play or another, Greene seldom listens defenses’ requests, making him one of the most electrifying and unpredictable players in the Big 12.
As a head coach, Neal Brown says he has had to grow alongside Greene to make the most of that style.
“There’s some things that he does that are really frustrating to me, but he also does some things that I can’t coach. I can’t coach him to break tackles. I think it’s give and take,” Brown said.
As that pertains to calling plays and making decisions, Brown finds that the best way to work with Greene is to be flexible.
“As a play caller, especially in that game on Saturday… I felt like our best opportunity was just to spread him out and use plays where it’s basically 1-2 run. Now that’s not always the best, but you allow him to be who he is,” Brown said.
“When we decide to do some things, I know there’s going to be some latitude taken by him, and so I’ve just got to be okay with it,” Brown said.
“The kid makes plays. He’s a playmaker that can continue to be better as a passer.”
As much as Greene challenges Brown, though, Brown knows that he is more than capable of making Greene better.
Brown’s coaching emphasizes fundamentals and consistency essential to level a player whose brand is unpredictability. For Greene, Brown says immediate improvements would be seen if he consistently reached the level Brown pushes him to.
“If he would consistently do what he’s supposed to do with his feet, he would be at a higher completion percentage,” Brown said.
“From a coaching perspective, I’m good if he’s going to run around, but when the play is in the pocket, let’s be fundamentally sound. That’s what he’s got to get better at.”
Neal Brown and Garrett Greene will continue to work toward bettering each other in the Mountaineers’ Week 5 bye before traveling to Oklahoma State the following weekend.
