Dan Mullen's UNLV move a logical one as Rebels look to continue upward trajectory

Former Florida head coach Dan Mullen became the latest coach to get a new lease on life in a 2024 coaching carousel full of retread options after accepting the UNLV head coaching job on Thursday night, according to ESPN.

Mullen agreed to a five-year contract to coach the Rebels after UNLV's previous head coach, Barry Odom, left for Purdue earlier this week.

While Mullen is yet another retread in a sea of them during this hiring cycle, this move actually makes a lot of sense for both parties.

UNLV is a program in the midst of a rare renaissance at the moment. Odom guided the Rebels to its first back-to-back nine-win seasons in program history, and built a fun, high-octane offense to pair with his unique defensive schemes. They needed a coach who could continue that success and keep building the Rebels as they go forward.

Even when things were going poorly for Mullen at the end of his Florida tenure, he maintained a reputation as a stellar tactical coach, with a knack for developing quarterback talent and maximizing his team's offensive potential. He was an excellent game day coach, capable of scheming up something to put opposing defenses in a world of hurt.

His issues came from an inability, or lack of desire, to recruit at a level that Florida fans were happy with, as well as routinely flirting with NFL jobs. He neglected tasks that you simply can't overlook at a power conference program like Florida, while also looking to make a jump to the next level.

He had much more success at Mississippi State, where the expectation isn't to land multiple five-star talents each season; it's to be competitive in the SEC and run a functional team that can hang with the powers with three and four-star players.

In other words, he thrived in exactly the kind of environment that UNLV is hoping to contend in. Mullen is at his best when he's punching up, maximizing the talent of lower-tier recruits and out-scheming opponents, which is exactly what the Rebels want. They're not expecting him to go out and sign a top-five recruiting class; they've yet to crack the top 50, even with their current run of success.

Neither side should have any reservations about what this is, either. Mullen likely wants to get himself back to the power four, and ideally back to the SEC. He's not going to stay in Las Vegas for 10-plus years. And UNLV want a coach who can continue to build the program into a consistent contender in the Mountain West, who can keep the vibes as high as they've been for the last two years. A motivated Mullen can elevate this program, and UNLV can be the perfect stepping stone for him to prove he can still coach at a level worthy of a power four gig.

That's not to say the move isn't without risk. Anytime you're bringing a coach back from a hiatus, even one as brief as Mullen's, there's a worry that he won't be able to adapt to the modern landscape. If Mullen checks out on keeping skilled players from entering the portal, things could go sideways very quickly, even with his knack for maximizing talent, but that's a risk that comes with any coaching hire.

At the end of the day, this move feels like a win-win. Mullen gets to prove he can still win, and UNLV gets a coach who could keep them on their upward trajectory.

Home/CFB