Dan Mullen Hired

[CougarFrog]

On 12/12/2024 at 11:32 AM, GO STATE said:

 

No matter how many times you say it.  The NEW 12-PACk & MWCs are NOT the "SAME!!!"

Y'all are in bed w/Grand Cyn & a UC school [not in LA or Berkeley] for God's sake.

 

One is a dumpster fire and the other is the MWC.... not the same. 

[crsmitty04]

It's interesting how large infrastructure improvements seem equally as important as the coach in our recruiting history.

In basketball Kruger Sr. (albeit a great coach) only seemed able to attract the undersized lunch pale types. It got to a point where in-game dunks were a treat.

Then he helped get the world class Mendenhall Center built (home to Team USA training) and our hoops recruiting took off like a rocket under Coach Rice. As good as a recruiter as he and his staff were, it was largely that facility in my mind.

In football, we get Tony Sanchez, who was not a very good football coach but was a tremendous fundraiser. He helps get the world class football facility built (said to be among the best in G5 conferences) and now UNLV starts landing the caliber of talent to really compete.

Combine that with competent coaching (thank you Coach Odom) and you got everything you need.

My only question now is if Kruger is gone for sure? Wonder if a magical tourney run could buy him another year 🤔 

[UNLV2001]

LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – After two years of making history on the field, UNLV football made a historic hire Thursday as longtime SEC head coach Dan Mullen has been appointed the new head coach of the Rebel football program, Director of Athletics Erick Harper announced Thursday.

Mullen will be introduced to the Las Vegas community on Friday during an 11:30 a.m. media conference on the Fertitta Football Complex practice fields at Rebel Park on campus.

A 103-game winner at the University of Florida and Mississippi State University, Mullen returns to the sidelines in Las Vegas after spending the last three seasons as an ESPN college football analyst.

"I am very excited to be a part of the UNLV family," said Mullen. "These past two years, a foundation has been set to compete for championships, including being just one game away from making the College Football Playoff, which is a great testament to where we plan on continuing to be. My expectation is to keep that excitement and momentum alive and produce a team for the University, the City of Las Vegas and the State of Nevada that is going to compete for championships on a regular basis. I want to thank President Keith Whitfield and Director of Athletics Erick Harper for this opportunity. Our program will make the university proud and benefit our student-athletes equally both on and off the field. I look forward to creating excitement for all UNLV Athletics and our goal is to be the premier program in the Mountain West."

The 14th head coach in UNLV history, Mullen, 52, boasts nearly three decades of coaching experience, including 13 as a head coach. He spent nine years at the helm of MSU and a combined eight years at Florida, first as offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach and returning to Gainesville to lead the program from 2018-21. Mullen has an 103-61 (.628) overall record, a 7-3 bowl game record while leading a program and has seen 76 players under his guidance drafted in the NFL.

"Dan Mullen is an experienced and proven winner as a head coach at the highest levels of college football," said UNLV president Keith E. Whitfield. "I'm confident that he'll build on the strong momentum that Rebel football experienced the past two years and lead our program to even greater heights in the years to come. We're thrilled to welcome Dan and the entire Mullen family to UNLV and Las Vegas."

"We are ecstatic to announce the hiring of Dan Mullen, who is both an innovator and nationally respected leader in the sport of football," said Harper. "The momentum of UNLV football continues to skyrocket with Coach Mullen coming aboard and is even more proof that our university is serious about success. Rebel Nation came alive while watching this program reach new heights the last two seasons and we are excited to keep it moving forward under the leadership of someone the caliber of Dan Mullen."

Mullen compiled an overall 34-15 mark in Gainesville over four years and led UF to national prominence in just his first season. He and the Gators took the next step in his second and third seasons with an SEC Championship Game appearance to highlight the 2020 campaign. Registering an 11-2 record in 2019, Mullen and the Gators finished at No. 6 in the final Associated Press Poll, their highest finish since 2009 at No. 3. The year prior, Mullen led Florida to a 10-3 record to become the second coach in Gator history to post a top-10 finish in his first full season at the helm.

On the national stage, Mullen became the first head coach in FBS history to win BCS/New Year's Six bowl games in both of his first two seasons with a program. He guided Florida to three consecutive bowl games (2018 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, 2019 Capital One Orange Bowl and 2020 Goodyear Cotton Bowl). The 2020 offense was among the most prolific in the country. The Gators led the nation in passing offense for only the second time in program history, as they averaged 378.6 yards per game (ranked fourth in SEC history). Florida finished the season ranked ninth nationally in total offense (509.8 yards per game).

Mullen took over an unranked Florida program in 2018 and the Gators achieved their second-largest turnaround in school history in terms of wins (six). Mullen, who served four seasons (2005-08) as the Gators' offensive coordinator, played a major role in the program winning two SEC and BCS National Titles (2006, 2008), spent nine seasons overseeing the Mississippi State program from 2009-17 before returning to Gainesville.

In 2014, Mullen was honored as the National College Football Coach of the Year by the Maxwell Football Club. He also garnered honors as the SEC Coach of the Year in the same season. His tenure with the Bulldogs saw the program ascend to a No. 1 ranking during the regular-season and play in a school-record eight consecutive bowl games.

As the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at UF prior to joining MSU in 2009, Mullen helped produce a Heisman Trophy, Davey O'Brien and Maxwell Award-winning quarterback (Tim Tebow), along with a Rimington Trophy finalist (Mike Degory) and a Biletnikoff Award semifinalist (Chad Jackson).

Player development has been a key to Mullen's coaching career successes. Mullen had 26 Bulldogs chosen in the NFL Draft. Dak Prescott became the highest-drafted MSU quarterback in modern NFL Draft history, going in the fourth round in 2016 to the Dallas Cowboys. Prescott joined the following QBs tutored by Mullen, who were selected in the NFL Draft: Josh Harris (Bowling Green), Omar Jacobs (Bowling Green), Alex Smith (Utah) and Tim Tebow (Florida).

Before heading to Gainesville for the first time, Mullen coached in the Mountain West as the quarterback coach for former MW-member Utah with head coach Urban Meyer, with whom he had spent 10 seasons. While coaching the Ute quarterbacks, Mullen helped develop NFL standout Alex Smith - the first overall selection in the 2005 Draft. The 2004 season culminated with Smith earning National Player of the Year honors from The Sporting News and Sports Illustrated, while also becoming the Utes' first-ever Heisman Trophy finalist.

Prior to his time in Salt Lake City, Mullen served as quarterbacks coach at Bowling Green for two seasons, helping the Falcons record 6,627 yards of total offense with 81 touchdowns during that span. Mullen spent two years before his time at Bowling Green as a graduate assistant at Notre Dame, and before that assisted with Syracuse's 1998 Big East championship and Orange Bowl run.

Mullen was born April 27, 1972, in Manchester, New Hampshire. He earned a bachelor's degree in exercise and sport science from Ursinus College in 1994 and a master's in education from Wagner College in 1996. A two-year starter at tight end for Ursinus College in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, Mullen earned First Team All-Centennial Conference honors as a senior.

He is married to the former Megan West and the couple has two children, son Canon and daughter Breelyn.

DAN MULLEN'S COACHING FILE
YEARS        SCHOOL -- POSITION
2024-SA      UNLV – Head Coach
2018-21        Florida – Head Coach
2009-17       Mississippi State – Head Coach
2005-08      Florida – Offensive Coordinator, Quarterbacks
2003-04      Utah – Quarterbacks
2001-02       Bowling Green – Quarterbacks
1999-2000  Notre Dame – Graduate Assistant (Offense)
1998             Syracuse – Graduate Assistant (Offense)
1996-97       Columbia – Wide Receivers
1994-95       Wagner – Wide Receivers
 
MULLEN'S RECORD AS HEAD COACH
YEAR         SCHOOL                 ALL      CONF
2021           Florida                      5-6         2-6 (SEC)
2020          Florida                      8-4        8-2 (SEC)
2019           Florida                      11-2        6-2 (SEC)
2018           Florida                      10-3       5-3 (SEC)
2017           Mississippi State     8-4        4-4 (SEC)
2016           Mississippi State     6-7        3-5 (SEC)
2015           Mississippi State     9-4       4-4 (SEC)
2014           Mississippi State     10-3      6-2 (SEC)
2013           Mississippi State     7-6        3-5 (SEC)
2012           Mississippi State     8-5        4-4 (SEC)
2011            Mississippi State     7-6        2-6 (SEC)
2010           Mississippi State     9-4       4-4 (SEC)
2009          Mississippi State     5-7        3-5 (SEC)
13 Years                                   103-61     54-52
                                                34-15 UF    21-13 UF
                                             69-46 MSU  33-39 MSU
 
POSTSEASON HEAD COACHING HISTORY
2020    Goodyear Cotton Bowl                              Oklahoma        L, 55-20
2020    SEC Championship Game                        Alabama           L, 52-46
2019     Capital One Orange Bowl (Florida)         Virginia            W, 36-28
2018     Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl (Florida)             Michigan          W, 41-15
2016     St. Petersburg Bowl (Mississippi State) Miami (OH)      W, 17-16
2015     Belk Bowl (Mississippi State)                   NC State            W, 51-28
2014     Orange Bowl (Mississippi State)             Georgia Tech    L, 49-34
2013     Liberty Bowl (Mississippi State)              Rice                     W, 44-7
2013     Gator Bowl (Mississippi State)                 Northwestern   L, 34-20
2011     Music City Bowl (Mississippi State)        Wake Forest      W, 23-17
2011     Gator Bowl (Mississippi State)                 Michigan            W, 52-14
 

[Droga]

Great pick up.  Look forward to seeing UNLV even progress more in football. If the corrdinators i am hearing actually come this will be the best coaching staff of any G5 school. 

[ph90702]

On 12/12/2024 at 4:14 PM, Droga said:

Great pick up.  Look forward to seeing UNLV even progress more in football. If the corrdinators i am hearing actually come this will be the best coaching staff of any G5 school. 

Who are you hearing?

[UNLV2001]

[SharkTanked]

Great hire. Great day to be a Rebel.

[Brew_Poke]

On 12/12/2024 at 3:55 PM, UNLV2001 said:

UNLV has tried every route since the firing of Harvey Hyde in 1986

1986 to 1989 = Wayne Nunnely, former assistant & player / Record 19-25

1990 to 1993 = Jim Strong , from powerhouse Notre Dame assistant / Record 17-27

1994 to 1998 = Jeff Horton, Stole UNR HC / Record 13-44

1999 to 2004 = John Robinson, Former USC & LA Rams HC / Record 28-42

2005 to 2009 = Mike Sanford, Offensive Assistant from BCS Buster Utah Utes / Record 16-43 

2010 to 2014 = Bobby Hauck, Winner at FCS Montana / Record 15-49

2015 to 2019 = Tony Sanchez Hot local High School HC at Gorman / Record 20-40 --- Did get a lot of the infrastructure in place 

2020 to 2022 = Marcus Arroyo - Hot shot OC from powerhouse Oregon / Record 7-23

2023 to 2024 = Barry Odom, former HC at P5 program & P5 assistant / Record 19-9 

@RebelRobert loved that Sanford hire!

[ph90702]

I wonder how much he’s getting paid?

[CougarFrog]

On 12/12/2024 at 6:11 PM, ph90702 said:

I wonder how much he’s getting paid?

Whatever it is will be far less than his last year at Florida.  And worth every penny,  especially if he gets UNLV to the CFP before he leaves. 

[nickp1991]

Dan Mullen replacing Barry Odom at UNLV was not on my offseason bingo card 

[stanfordchef]

On 12/12/2024 at 4:07 PM, UNLV2001 said:

LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – After two years of making history on the field, UNLV football made a historic hire Thursday as longtime SEC head coach Dan Mullen has been appointed the new head coach of the Rebel football program, Director of Athletics Erick Harper announced Thursday.

Mullen will be introduced to the Las Vegas community on Friday during an 11:30 a.m. media conference on the Fertitta Football Complex practice fields at Rebel Park on campus.

A 103-game winner at the University of Florida and Mississippi State University, Mullen returns to the sidelines in Las Vegas after spending the last three seasons as an ESPN college football analyst.

"I am very excited to be a part of the UNLV family," said Mullen. "These past two years, a foundation has been set to compete for championships, including being just one game away from making the College Football Playoff, which is a great testament to where we plan on continuing to be. My expectation is to keep that excitement and momentum alive and produce a team for the University, the City of Las Vegas and the State of Nevada that is going to compete for championships on a regular basis. I want to thank President Keith Whitfield and Director of Athletics Erick Harper for this opportunity. Our program will make the university proud and benefit our student-athletes equally both on and off the field. I look forward to creating excitement for all UNLV Athletics and our goal is to be the premier program in the Mountain West."

The 14th head coach in UNLV history, Mullen, 52, boasts nearly three decades of coaching experience, including 13 as a head coach. He spent nine years at the helm of MSU and a combined eight years at Florida, first as offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach and returning to Gainesville to lead the program from 2018-21. Mullen has an 103-61 (.628) overall record, a 7-3 bowl game record while leading a program and has seen 76 players under his guidance drafted in the NFL.

"Dan Mullen is an experienced and proven winner as a head coach at the highest levels of college football," said UNLV president Keith E. Whitfield. "I'm confident that he'll build on the strong momentum that Rebel football experienced the past two years and lead our program to even greater heights in the years to come. We're thrilled to welcome Dan and the entire Mullen family to UNLV and Las Vegas."

"We are ecstatic to announce the hiring of Dan Mullen, who is both an innovator and nationally respected leader in the sport of football," said Harper. "The momentum of UNLV football continues to skyrocket with Coach Mullen coming aboard and is even more proof that our university is serious about success. Rebel Nation came alive while watching this program reach new heights the last two seasons and we are excited to keep it moving forward under the leadership of someone the caliber of Dan Mullen."

Mullen compiled an overall 34-15 mark in Gainesville over four years and led UF to national prominence in just his first season. He and the Gators took the next step in his second and third seasons with an SEC Championship Game appearance to highlight the 2020 campaign. Registering an 11-2 record in 2019, Mullen and the Gators finished at No. 6 in the final Associated Press Poll, their highest finish since 2009 at No. 3. The year prior, Mullen led Florida to a 10-3 record to become the second coach in Gator history to post a top-10 finish in his first full season at the helm.

On the national stage, Mullen became the first head coach in FBS history to win BCS/New Year's Six bowl games in both of his first two seasons with a program. He guided Florida to three consecutive bowl games (2018 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, 2019 Capital One Orange Bowl and 2020 Goodyear Cotton Bowl). The 2020 offense was among the most prolific in the country. The Gators led the nation in passing offense for only the second time in program history, as they averaged 378.6 yards per game (ranked fourth in SEC history). Florida finished the season ranked ninth nationally in total offense (509.8 yards per game).

Mullen took over an unranked Florida program in 2018 and the Gators achieved their second-largest turnaround in school history in terms of wins (six). Mullen, who served four seasons (2005-08) as the Gators' offensive coordinator, played a major role in the program winning two SEC and BCS National Titles (2006, 2008), spent nine seasons overseeing the Mississippi State program from 2009-17 before returning to Gainesville.

In 2014, Mullen was honored as the National College Football Coach of the Year by the Maxwell Football Club. He also garnered honors as the SEC Coach of the Year in the same season. His tenure with the Bulldogs saw the program ascend to a No. 1 ranking during the regular-season and play in a school-record eight consecutive bowl games.

As the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at UF prior to joining MSU in 2009, Mullen helped produce a Heisman Trophy, Davey O'Brien and Maxwell Award-winning quarterback (Tim Tebow), along with a Rimington Trophy finalist (Mike Degory) and a Biletnikoff Award semifinalist (Chad Jackson).

Player development has been a key to Mullen's coaching career successes. Mullen had 26 Bulldogs chosen in the NFL Draft. Dak Prescott became the highest-drafted MSU quarterback in modern NFL Draft history, going in the fourth round in 2016 to the Dallas Cowboys. Prescott joined the following QBs tutored by Mullen, who were selected in the NFL Draft: Josh Harris (Bowling Green), Omar Jacobs (Bowling Green), Alex Smith (Utah) and Tim Tebow (Florida).

Before heading to Gainesville for the first time, Mullen coached in the Mountain West as the quarterback coach for former MW-member Utah with head coach Urban Meyer, with whom he had spent 10 seasons. While coaching the Ute quarterbacks, Mullen helped develop NFL standout Alex Smith - the first overall selection in the 2005 Draft. The 2004 season culminated with Smith earning National Player of the Year honors from The Sporting News and Sports Illustrated, while also becoming the Utes' first-ever Heisman Trophy finalist.

Prior to his time in Salt Lake City, Mullen served as quarterbacks coach at Bowling Green for two seasons, helping the Falcons record 6,627 yards of total offense with 81 touchdowns during that span. Mullen spent two years before his time at Bowling Green as a graduate assistant at Notre Dame, and before that assisted with Syracuse's 1998 Big East championship and Orange Bowl run.

Mullen was born April 27, 1972, in Manchester, New Hampshire. He earned a bachelor's degree in exercise and sport science from Ursinus College in 1994 and a master's in education from Wagner College in 1996. A two-year starter at tight end for Ursinus College in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, Mullen earned First Team All-Centennial Conference honors as a senior.

He is married to the former Megan West and the couple has two children, son Canon and daughter Breelyn.

DAN MULLEN'S COACHING FILE
YEARS        SCHOOL -- POSITION
2024-SA      UNLV – Head Coach
2018-21        Florida – Head Coach
2009-17       Mississippi State – Head Coach
2005-08      Florida – Offensive Coordinator, Quarterbacks
2003-04      Utah – Quarterbacks
2001-02       Bowling Green – Quarterbacks
1999-2000  Notre Dame – Graduate Assistant (Offense)
1998             Syracuse – Graduate Assistant (Offense)
1996-97       Columbia – Wide Receivers
1994-95       Wagner – Wide Receivers
 
MULLEN'S RECORD AS HEAD COACH
YEAR         SCHOOL                 ALL      CONF
2021           Florida                      5-6         2-6 (SEC)
2020          Florida                      8-4        8-2 (SEC)
2019           Florida                      11-2        6-2 (SEC)
2018           Florida                      10-3       5-3 (SEC)
2017           Mississippi State     8-4        4-4 (SEC)
2016           Mississippi State     6-7        3-5 (SEC)
2015           Mississippi State     9-4       4-4 (SEC)
2014           Mississippi State     10-3      6-2 (SEC)
2013           Mississippi State     7-6        3-5 (SEC)
2012           Mississippi State     8-5        4-4 (SEC)
2011            Mississippi State     7-6        2-6 (SEC)
2010           Mississippi State     9-4       4-4 (SEC)
2009          Mississippi State     5-7        3-5 (SEC)
13 Years                                   103-61     54-52
                                                34-15 UF    21-13 UF
                                             69-46 MSU  33-39 MSU
 
POSTSEASON HEAD COACHING HISTORY
2020    Goodyear Cotton Bowl                              Oklahoma        L, 55-20
2020    SEC Championship Game                        Alabama           L, 52-46
2019     Capital One Orange Bowl (Florida)         Virginia            W, 36-28
2018     Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl (Florida)             Michigan          W, 41-15
2016     St. Petersburg Bowl (Mississippi State) Miami (OH)      W, 17-16
2015     Belk Bowl (Mississippi State)                   NC State            W, 51-28
2014     Orange Bowl (Mississippi State)             Georgia Tech    L, 49-34
2013     Liberty Bowl (Mississippi State)              Rice                     W, 44-7
2013     Gator Bowl (Mississippi State)                 Northwestern   L, 34-20
2011     Music City Bowl (Mississippi State)        Wake Forest      W, 23-17
2011     Gator Bowl (Mississippi State)                 Michigan            W, 52-14
 

only reason he got shitcanned at UF was because he and the Bull Gators didn't get along with each other. I knew him through mutual people during his time there - he was cool. But he definitely pissed off the rich hillbillies for whatever reason. He was a fish out of water there - even moreso than McElwain i felt (who was also fish out of water in his own right).

Totally understood the Mac firing b/c he clearly burned some bridges at one point or another with the rich folk and he wasn't winning enough for them to put up with it, but never got why they fired Dan - dude went to 3 NY6 bowls (won 2) and was a thrown shoe away from getting them in the playoff in 2020 regardless of the SECCG outcome.
 

That said the 2018 Peach Bowl prison rape of Michigan during Dan’s first season was my favorite UF game during my time as a student there. 

UNLV is going places with this hire JMVHO. 

[Jersey Rebels]

 

Rebels18 coming into this thread.

[ph90702]

On 12/12/2024 at 6:17 PM, CougarFrog said:

Whatever it is will be far less than his last year at Florida.  And worth every penny,  especially if he gets UNLV to the CFP before he leaves. 

I heard high $3 million to low $4 million range.  If true, that’s the equivalent of $9-10 million in the B1G or SEC.

[Qwelish]

On 12/12/2024 at 3:52 PM, crsmitty04 said:

It's interesting how large infrastructure improvements seem equally as important as the coach in our recruiting history.

In basketball Kruger Sr. (albeit a great coach) only seemed able to attract the undersized lunch pale types. It got to a point where in-game dunks were a treat.

Then he helped get the world class Mendenhall Center built (home to Team USA training) and our hoops recruiting took off like a rocket under Coach Rice. As good as a recruiter as he and his staff were, it was largely that facility in my mind.

In football, we get Tony Sanchez, who was not a very good football coach but was a tremendous fundraiser. He helps get the world class football facility built (said to be among the best in G5 conferences) and now UNLV starts landing the caliber of talent to really compete.

Combine that with competent coaching (thank you Coach Odom) and you got everything you need.

My only question now is if Kruger is gone for sure? Wonder if a magical tourney run could buy him another year 🤔 

Stadium was the catalyst more than anything else. 

But you still made solid points.

[CougarFrog]

On 12/12/2024 at 7:05 PM, ph90702 said:

I heard high $3 million to low $4 million range.  If true, that’s the equivalent of $9-10 million in the B1G or SEC.

Mullen still gets $1mil per year until 2027 from Florida.

Jimmy Sexton likely got him a good deal from UNLV.

[masterfrog]

I hope he adjusts to the new way of working in college football.  He was very vocal about not wanting to be a part of coaching with an NIL first mindset and didn't want to recruit that way when he left Florida.

[Jersey Rebels]

Now that things have settled down, I feel like taking a moment to get my thoughts out.

To other UNLV fans:

 

To fans of teams outside of the MWC:

To fans of other MWC teams:

 

To fans of teams leaving to the Pac2:

[Rebels2k3]

[masterfrog]

On 12/13/2024 at 12:39 AM, Rebels2k3 said:

Does his son play at San Jose State’s gym?