Sources: UNLV interviews ‘Go-Go’ coordinator; ex-SEC coach in running

Former Mississippi State and Florida coach Dan Mullen has emerged as a name to watch in the search to replace Barry Odom at UNLV, sources said Wednesday.

Mullen, 52, works as a TV analyst for ABC and ESPN, but was the architect of two turnaround efforts in the SEC.

Amid increasing buzz surrounding Mullen as a candidate, a source with knowledge of the situation said UNLV offensive coordinator Brennan Marion interviewed with athletic director Erick Harper and wants to take over as coach.

Marion has never been a collegiate head coach but has drawn external interest for his innovative Go-Go offense for the past two years at UNLV. Despite the opportunity to double his salary by following Odom to Purdue, the source said Marion’s priority is leading the Rebels.

When Harper addressed reporters Sunday after Odom’s departure, he said experience as a head coach would be a top priority in the search.

Mullen went 103-61 at Mississippi State and Florida from 2009-21.

In the eight years before Mullen’s first season at Mississippi State in 2009, the Bulldogs had a 29-65 record.

By his second year, they had completed a nine-win season that featured the largest margin of victory in a bowl game in school history (52-14 over Michigan).

In 2014, Mullen was named SEC coach of the year after leading Mississippi State to the No. 1 ranking in the national polls before finishing 10-3.

He finished with a 69-46 record and five bowl wins in eight appearances over nine seasons. No other Mississippi State coach had won more than two.

After changing the culture in Starkville, Mullen left to become the coach at Florida from 2018 to 2021.

The Gators leaped to 10-3 in his first season after finishing 4-7 in 2017. In 2019, they recorded 11 wins, the most in a season since 2012. In 2020, Florida led the nation in passing offense, averaging 378.6 yards per game.

The end of the 2020 season marked the start of Mullen’s struggles at Florida, as the Gators lost their final three games to finish 8-4.

He was fired after a 24-23 overtime loss at Missouri in November 2021, the Gators’ fourth straight loss to a conference opponent. In a stretch that began with the final three games of the 2020 season, Florida went 2-9 against teams from the then-Power Five.

Marion, Mullen in Vegas

Mullen was in Las Vegas on Tuesday, per his Instagram account. Photos show Mullen supporting former NFL quarterback Alex Smith, who was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame at the Bellagio.

Mullen worked with Smith as the quarterbacks coach at Utah in 2003 and 2004.

Harper attended the event as well, since UNLV senior linebacker Jackson Woodard was honored there as a nominee for the 35th William V. Campbell Trophy. The award, known as the “Academic Heisman,” went to Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe.

Meanwhile, Marion was working on getting the Rebels ready to face Cal in the LA Bowl on Wednesday, the source said. Marion has committed to coaching in the game, even though he was not selected as the team’s interim coach for the contest.

That title was given to wide receivers coach Del Alexander, but the source said Marion was told the selection wasn’t indicative of the head coaching race.

Raiders defensive tackle Zach Carter played under Mullen at Florida.

“He’s a great coach. He took our program from ground zero and built him up,” Carter said Wednesday. “They let him go after one bad year. I honestly think they should have kept him. But I do think he brings passion as a coach. He fights for his guys, and he has a great offensive mind. Our offense was amazing those three years. I’d be real happy for him to get back in it.”

A spokesperson for Mullen’s agent, Jimmy Sexton, declined to confirm or deny that Mullen is a candidate for the UNLV job, saying that Sexton doesn’t disclose any information about his clients to the media.

Contact Callie Fin at cfin@reviewjournal.com. Follow @CallieJLaw on X.