College Neale began his coaching career while still a professional player. He served as the head football coach at
Muskingum College (1915),
West Virginia Wesleyan College (1916–1917),
Marietta College (1919–1920),
Washington & Jefferson College (1921–1922), the
University of Virginia (1923–1928), and
West Virginia University (1931–1933), compiling a career
college football record of 82–54–11. He coached basketball for two seasons at Marietta (1919–1921) as well, amassing a record of 26–11. He also served as an assistant football coach with
Yale Bulldogs football for seven seasons (1934–1940). At Washington & Jefferson, he led his 1921 squad to the
Rose Bowl, where the
Presidents played the
California Golden Bears to a scoreless tie. At Virginia, Neale was also the head baseball coach from 1923 to 1928, tallying a mark of 80–73–2. He returned to the club late into the 1928 season. In 1929, Neale joined the coaching staff of the
St. Louis Cardinals. He started the season as the team's third base coach, but was demoted to the
Rochester Red Wings along with manager
Billy Southworth on July 24, 1929. The following month he was replaced by
Ray Blades and became a scout for the Cardinals. In 1930, Neale once again managed the Generals.
Independent football Neale later coached the independent professional
Ironton Tanks. He and Tanks quarterback
Glenn Presnell claimed victories against the NFL's second-place New York Giants and third-place Chicago Bears in 1930, however the team folded in 1931.
Return to college In 1931, Neale returned to college coaching as the head football coach at West Virginia. In 1934, he became the backfield coach at Yale, where his brother, Widdy, was the director of intramural athletics.
Professional Neale moved to the
National Football League (NFL), to serve as the head coach of the
Philadelphia Eagles from 1941 to 1950. From 1944 through 1949, Neale's Eagles finished second three times and in first place three times. The Eagles won the NFL Championship in 1948 and again in 1949, and became the first team to win back-to-back titles since the 1940 and 1941 Chicago Bears by shutting out their opponents, beating the Chicago Cardinals 7–0 in the snow ridden
1948 NFL Championship Game and the Los Angeles Rams 14–0 in the
1949 NFL Championship Game in a driving rain storm. It was the last championship for the Eagles until 1960. His offense was led by the passing of quarterback
Tommy Thompson, the pass catching of future Hall of Fame end
Pete Pihos, and the running of another Hall of Famer,
Steve Van Buren. He tallied a mark of 66–44–5 including playoff games in his ten seasons with the club. Neale was inducted into the
College Football Hall of Fame in 1967 and the
Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1969. Both inductions recognized his coaching career. ==Head coaching record==