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Former Florida Football coach Dan Mullen's rumored new job would be a good fit

The former Gator coach is potentially taking over at UNLV

By Benjamin Henderson

Nov 20, 2021; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Florida Gators head coach Dan Mullen watches team warm ups against the Missouri Tigers before the game at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images
Nov 20, 2021; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Florida Gators head coach Dan Mullen watches team warm ups against the Missouri Tigers before the game at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images / Denny Medley-Imagn Images
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For the last three years, former Florida Football coach Dan Mullen has been perfectly content sitting inside a TV studio rather than on a sideline with a headset. Mullen was fired before the end of the 2021 campaign with Florida and has been doing work with ESPN ever since.

His name has been linked and rumored to a number of coaching gigs over the past couple of seasons, but there finally appears to be a job that Mullen wants, and the school wants him back.

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Football Scoop reported on Wednesday night that Mullen is in "deep discussions and working to finalize a deal" with UNLV. The Rebels need a new coach after Barry Odom left to go to Purdue.

Mullen's tenure with Florida quickly deteriorated after making it to a New Year's Six Bowl in each of his first three seasons. At the core of what frustrated fans was his unwillingness to make staff changes in certain areas and his lack of elite-level recruiting.

Combined with the perception that he gave up on the program during the 2021 season and the fact he has been perfectly happy not coaching for three straight seasons, there won't be many Gator fans looking to come to the defense of Mullen.

But while it didn't work out in Gainesville, UNLV is the perfect type of school for Mullen to succeed in. As long as he can pull in his fair share of three-stars, his recruiting will be fine for the Mountain West. Even off a 10-2 regular season, UNLV is ranked 75th for their class of 2025 and was 76th in 2024.

And while UNLV was at the center of an NIL controversy earlier in the year when Matthew Sluka quit the team mid-year, Mullen should be able to use the transfer portal well to cover up any recruiting deficiencies.

Mullen, at his best, just needs a roster that is close on talent to an opponent, and he can scheme his way to victory better than most. At a place like UNLV, that is a very achievable path, and we would not be stunned, given a Mountain West schedule, if he makes a push to the playoffs in the next couple of seasons.

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