UNLV and Dan Mullen made a gamble on each other, and boy, has it paid off for both parties. The head coach, who marked a terrific first year as head coach of the Rebels, was recognized for his efforts with a special award. Fans sent in all the love for the coach who made sure UNLV remained a competitor in college football.

Dan Mullen announced his Steve Spurrier First-Year Coach Award win in February from the Football Writers Association of America, joining the likes of Lincoln Riley and Chris Petersen. The award marked his brilliant comeback to college football coaching as UNLV’s new head coach in the 2025 season, after a gap of 4 years. Moreover, Mullen was presented the award by Spurrier himself. The award is given to coaches who can mirror the instant successes he had with various programs.

“We accomplished a lot at UNLV this past season,” Mullen said in his acceptance speech. “Las Vegas is a special place, and I said when I came back to coaching after three years away that we will be able to do some really special things here. I want to thank everyone at UNLV for giving me the opportunity. The support from the administration has been amazing, and it was the right opportunity to come back.”

Spurrier also called Mullen a “heck of a coach” for his heroics in the 2025 season.

Rebel fans had doubted whether the former Florida head coach would be able to create something valuable at UNLV. But Mullen coached as if he had never been away from college ball. He was able to maintain the program’s recent dominance in the Mountain West conference with a 10-4 record. In his debut season, Mullen became the first UNLV head coach to haul in 10 wins in their debut season with the program.

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He had the offense featuring among the Top 20 in the country and made an even bigger star out of quarterback Anthony Colandrea. Under Mullen, UNLV averaged more than thirty points per game last season, with more than six thousand yards of offense. The program even went 6-0 early last season, which were their best numbers since 1974.

Mullen’s 2025 success is reminiscent of his debut at Florida, where he finished 10-3. But Year 2 is when things get exciting, because he tends to perform significantly better. UNLV fans can expect Mullen to set off quite the fireworks at Vegas in 2026. They pitched in with congratulatory messages, letting him know that his hard work was valued and appreciated.

Fans celebrate Dan Mullen’s win

“Congrats coach, will always believe we should have hired you right after Meyer. Good luck,” one fan wrote. Though Mullen had to end his stint at Gainesville on a tough note, he is still among the better-performing coaches of the program. While Will Muschamp and Jim McElwain, the two coaches between Meyer and Mullen, left with a .57 and .65 winning percentage, Mullen was at .67.

“Congrats, Dan. Onward and upward,” another fan commented. The Mountain West Conference has now become easier than before, as key members have joined the Pac-12. Considering the momentum UNLV is on after the successes of 2025, fans are confident about going further with Dan Mullen at the helm.

“Well deserved. Give’m Hell Dan,” a fan replied. “You earned it, coach!” another wrote.

Faced with a depleted roster after Barry Odom’s departure, Mullen aggressively hit the transfer portal, bringing in 33 players with P4 experience. This influx created a roster with 37 such players, a talent level that dwarfed the rest of the MWC and paid immediate dividends. Having experienced players paid off well for Mullen, who continued UNLV’s streak of appearing in the conference championship in 2025.

“Congrats, Coach! Let’s have another great season. GO! FIGHT! WIN!” a hopeful fan wrote. UNLV is easily one of the most interesting programs at the G5 level, who have now begun flirting with the idea of making the CFP playoffs in the last two years. With Mullen at the helm, this team is going to be one worth looking out for.