LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – After two years of constructing historical past on the sector, UNLV soccer made a historic rent Thursday as longtime SEC head coach Dan Mullen has been appointed the brand new head coach of the Rebel soccer program, Director of Athletics Erick Harper introduced Thursday.
Mullen will probably be launched to the Las Vegas neighborhood on Friday throughout an 11:30 a.m. media convention on the Fertitta Football Complex follow fields at Rebel Park on campus.
A 103-game winner on the University of Florida and Mississippi State University, Mullen returns to the sidelines in Las Vegas after spending the final three seasons as an ESPN school soccer analyst.
“I’m very excited to be part of the UNLV household,” mentioned Mullen. “These previous two years, a basis has been set to compete for championships, together with being only one sport away from making the College Football Playoff, which is a superb testomony to the place we plan on persevering with to be. My expectation is to maintain that pleasure and momentum alive and produce a workforce for the University, the City of Las Vegas and the State of Nevada that’s going to compete for championships frequently. I need to thank President Keith Whitfield and Director of Athletics Erick Harper for this chance. Our program will make the college proud and profit our student-athletes equally each on and off the sector. I stay up for creating pleasure for all UNLV Athletics and our aim is to be the premier program within the Mountain West.”
The 14th head coach in UNLV historical past, Mullen, 52, boasts practically three many years of teaching expertise, together with 13 as a head coach. He spent 9 years on the helm of MSU and a mixed eight years at Florida, first as offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach and returning to Gainesville to guide this system from 2018-21. Mullen has an 103-61 (.628) total document, a 7-3 bowl sport document whereas main a program and has seen 76 gamers underneath his steerage drafted within the NFL.
“Dan Mullen is an skilled and confirmed winner as a head coach on the highest ranges of school soccer,” mentioned UNLV president Keith E. Whitfield. “I’m assured that he’ll construct on the sturdy momentum that Rebel soccer skilled the previous two years and lead our program to even better heights within the years to return. We’re thrilled to welcome Dan and the whole Mullen household to UNLV and Las Vegas.”
“We are ecstatic to announce the hiring of Dan Mullen, who’s each an innovator and nationally revered chief within the sport of soccer,” mentioned Harper. “The momentum of UNLV soccer continues to skyrocket with Coach Mullen coming aboard and is much more proof that our college is severe about success. Rebel Nation got here alive whereas watching this program attain new heights the final two seasons and we’re excited to maintain it transferring ahead underneath the management of somebody the caliber of Dan Mullen.”
Mullen compiled an total 34-15 mark in Gainesville over 4 years and led UF to nationwide prominence in simply his first season. He and the Gators took the following step in his second and third seasons with an SEC Championship Game look to focus on the 2020 marketing campaign. Registering an 11-2 document in 2019, Mullen and the Gators completed at No. 6 within the closing Associated Press Poll, their highest end since 2009 at No. 3. The 12 months prior, Mullen led Florida to a 10-3 document to grow to be the second coach in Gator historical past to put up a top-10 end in his first full season on the helm.
On the nationwide stage, Mullen turned the primary head coach in FBS historical past to win BCS/New Year’s Six bowl video games in each of his first two seasons with a program. He guided Florida to a few consecutive bowl video games (2018 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, 2019 Capital One Orange Bowl and 2020 Goodyear Cotton Bowl). The 2020 offense was among the many most prolific within the nation. The Gators led the nation in passing offense for less than the second time in program historical past, as they averaged 378.6 yards per sport (ranked fourth in SEC historical past). Florida completed the season ranked ninth nationally in whole offense (509.8 yards per sport).
Mullen took over an unranked Florida program in 2018 and the Gators achieved their second-largest turnaround at school historical past when it comes to wins (six). Mullen, who served 4 seasons (2005-08) because the Gators’ offensive coordinator, performed a serious position in this system successful two SEC and BCS National Titles (2006, 2008), spent 9 seasons overseeing the Mississippi State program from 2009-17 earlier than returning to Gainesville.
In 2014, Mullen was honored because the National College Football Coach of the Year by the Maxwell Football Club. He additionally garnered honors because the SEC Coach of the Year in the identical season. His tenure with the Bulldogs noticed this system ascend to a No. 1 rating throughout the regular-season and play in a school-record eight consecutive bowl video games.
As the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at UF previous to becoming a member of MSU in 2009, Mullen helped produce a Heisman Trophy, Davey O’Brien and Maxwell Award-winning quarterback (Tim Tebow), together with a Rimington Trophy finalist (Mike Degory) and a Biletnikoff Award semifinalist (Chad Jackson).
Player growth has been a key to Mullen’s teaching profession successes. Mullen had 26 Bulldogs chosen within the NFL Draft. Dak Prescott turned the highest-drafted MSU quarterback in trendy NFL Draft historical past, going within the fourth spherical in 2016 to the Dallas Cowboys. Prescott joined the next QBs tutored by Mullen, who had been chosen within the NFL Draft: Josh Harris (Bowling Green), Omar Jacobs (Bowling Green), Alex Smith (Utah) and Tim Tebow (Florida).
Before heading to Gainesville for the primary time, Mullen coached within the Mountain West because the quarterback coach for former MW-member Utah with head coach Urban Meyer, with whom he had spent 10 seasons. While teaching the Ute quarterbacks, Mullen helped develop NFL standout Alex Smith – the primary total choice within the 2005 Draft. The 2004 season culminated with Smith incomes National Player of the Year honors from The Sporting News and Sports Illustrated, whereas additionally turning into the Utes’ first-ever Heisman Trophy finalist.
Prior to his time in Salt Lake City, Mullen served as quarterbacks coach at Bowling Green for 2 seasons, serving to the Falcons document 6,627 yards of whole offense with 81 touchdowns throughout that span. Mullen spent two years earlier than his time at Bowling Green as a graduate assistant at Notre Dame, and earlier than 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 diploma in train and sport science from Ursinus College in 1994 and a grasp’s in schooling from Wagner College in 1996. A two-year starter at tight finish for Ursinus College in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, Mullen earned First Team All-Centennial Conference honors as a senior.
He is married to the previous Megan West and the couple has two youngsters, 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
