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After spending the last three years as a college football analyst for ESPN, former Florida and Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen is officially returning to the sidelines.
UNLV announced on Thursday that it has hired Mullen as its next head coach and he will be introduced at a press conference on Friday.
Mullen brings 13 years of experience as a head coach to the Rebels and most recently served as Florida head coach from 2018 to 2021. He previously worked as offensive coordinator of the Gators from 2005 to 2008 before being hired as head coach of Mississippi State, where he worked from 2009 to 2017.
Mullen is replacing Barry Odom, who led UNLV to a 10-3 record this season and accepted the head coaching job at Purdue on Dec. 8. The team will face Cal (6-6) in the Art of Sport LA Bowl on Dec. 18.
“I am very excited to be a part of the UNLV family,” Mullen said in a statement. “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.”
Mullen has a career coaching record of 103-61 and a 7-3 record in bowl games with three appearances in New Year’s Six bowls. He will have a few holes to fill on the UNLV roster, as key players like quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams, wide receiver Ricky White III, linebacker Jackson Woodard and defensive back Jalen Catalon are all departing the program after this year.
