With several high-profile firings shaking up the season, Dan Mullen’s name unexpectedly surfaced as a potential fit for Arkansas. After a brutal 56–13 loss to Notre Dame, which cost Sam Pittman his job, Bobby Petrino has temporarily taken the helm. But the Razorbacks began their search for a permanent face, and it didn’t take long for one familiar SEC name to surface: Dan Mullen. But within a day after the rumors surfaced, the UNLV head coach took to social media to dismiss the talk and even offered an alternative suggestion.

On October 17, retweeting Coey Robinson Enthusiast’s tweet, Mullen put an end to all the head coaching rumors. “0.0 interest in Arkansas. Thanks for the shout out though. Y’all need to hire Gus Malzahn.” But what made him take matters into his own hands to stop the water from flowing too far?

The original tweet consisted of a part of Mike Irwin’s interview where the Razorbacks insider shared his thoughts about the head coach. “If there were two guys out, there that would take this job without any conditions whatsoever, ‘you have them, I’m coming.’ One of them is Bobby Petrino, and the other’s Dan Mullen. Mullen has basically told them, ‘Hey, you all don’t have to give me NIL guarantees, you don’t have to give a bunch of money, I’ll deal with the buyout here, I wanna come,’” said Irwin. 

Mullen’s name first surfaced through anonymous sources, but even after he publicly dismissed the Arkansas speculation, the chatter didn’t fully die down. Well, long ago, Nick Saban once claimed he was “not going to be the Alabama coach.” It was quite the same for Mike Anderson, who said he planned to “retire” at Missouri. And the rest is history. 

The Arkansas opening would have been tempting. It offered a return to familiar SEC territory, where Mullen spent 17 straight seasons as a head coach or offensive coordinator from 2005–2021. Yet the UNLV head coach has made it clear he’s content in Sin City, leading the Rebels at the top of the Mountain West with a 58% chance to reach the conference championship.

When asked if a bigger offer with a fatter check comes, Mullen sternly denied all advances. “I’ll be here… You want me to do that? I’m gonna be the head coach at UNLV next year, I’ll be here. I’m not going anywhere… I said it to the players. I told them that,” said the UNLV head coach. 

Even so, fans and analysts keep linking him to other programs, hardly surprising given his SEC pedigree. Mullen led Mississippi State from 2009 to 2017, compiling a 69–46 record (33–39 in SEC play), then Florida from 2018–2021, going 34–15 (21–14 in SEC) and reaching the 2020 SEC Championship Game. After leaving the Gators following a 5–6 start in 2021, he spent time as an ESPN analyst before taking over UNLV in 2024, succeeding Barry Odom, who had served as Arkansas’s defensive coordinator from 2020 to 2022.

Probable reasons behind Dan Mullen not exploring outside UNLV

The former Florida Gators coach’s name had been doing the rounds in the Nittany Lions camp, too. However, yet then, it was the Razorbacks’ job that had more of the Mullen discussion. As of September 28, Irwin tweeted, “Hearing last night…Petrino considered a longshot. Majority of boosters aligning around Lashlee who likely won’t take the job. Dan Mullen, 4-0 at UNLV, is lobbying hard to get the job. Built MSU into an SEC winner. Was winning at Fla but ticked off two powerful boosters there.”

Not to forget, Mullen worked as a college football analyst for ESPN and ABC in 2022. However, he was lured by the Rebels, who dished out a $17.5 million contract. So, if he himself opens the exit door before December 1, 2025, it would cost him $7 million. Other than the figure being heavy on his pockets, what’s the other reason that stops him from hitting the ‘swap’ button?

Mullen’s magic at Mississippi State was undeniable. Right consecutive bowl trips, a No. 1 national ranking in 2014, and the program’s first nine-win season in 15 years. But at the same time, he carries a dark past. Back in November 2021, Mullen, in his fourth season with the Florida Gators, got fired. His Florida era peaked with three New Year’s Six appearances and an SEC East title in 2020. But by season’s end, the wheels had come off. Florida managed just two conference wins, its fewest since 1986, and went winless on the road in SEC play.

Recently, the Rebels head coach chose to stir Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby’s pot. In a conversation with Brandon Marcello, the analyst shared how he enjoyed covering the Bulldogs when Mullen was in charge. Cut to Lebby, the Bulldogs wrapped up their 2024 season with a disastrous 2-10 overall record and a 0-8 mark in the SEC. “I mean, if we weren’t, back then, if you take a program that has kind of lost for a while and you continue to lose there, there’s not much of a story there,” the former coach dropped a blunt take. So, Mullen’s walking a tightrope now. One wrong step, and the critics will come roaring back.