Dan Mullen Hires Urban Meyer's Son-in-Law as Offensive Coordinator

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By J.C. Shelton | Last updated Dec 27, 2024 4:31 PM ET

UNLV head coach Dan Mullen is finalizing his staff for the 2025 season, and his newly-hired offensive coordinator has interesting ties.

After spending the last three years with ESPN as a college football analyst, Mullen is back in the coaching ranks with the Rebels following the departure of Barry Odom to Purdue.

UNLV finished 2024 at 11-3, tying the program record for wins in a single season. The Rebels capped off the season with a 24-13 win over California (6-7) in the Art of Sport LA Bowl on Dec. 18.

Mullen, 52, has a career head coaching record of 103-61 over 13 seasons, including stints at Mississippi State (2009-17) and Florida (2018-21).

After hiring former Mississippi State head coach Zach Arnett to serve as defensive coordinator, Mullen has reportedly finalized a deal with former Ohio State and Tulsa assistant Corey Dennis to be UNLV's offensive coordinator, per ESPN's Pete Thamel.

Dennis, 32, is the son-in-law of former Florida and Ohio State national champion head coach Urban Meyer.

Mullen rose up the coaching ranks as offensive coordinator under Meyer at Florida. The two helped lead the Gators to a pair of national championships (2006, 2008).

After finishing his playing career at Georgia Tech, Dennis joined his father-in-law at Ohio State as an intern in 2015. Dennis worked his way up to quarterbacks coach for the Buckeyes under head coach Ryan Day from 2020-23 before taking the offensive coordinator role at Tulsa for the 2024 season.

Serving under head coach Kevin Wilson, Dennis led a Golden Hurricane offense that finished 92nd in the country, scoring 25 points per game. Tulsa finished 3-9 and fired Wilson in November, prompting an exit by Dennis.

The connection between Mullen and Dennis could help create some continuity for the UNLV offensive strategy in 2025. Mullen is expected to play a large role in that aspect, and Dennis appears to be familiar with his spread approach.

UNLV will kick off the season on the road against Sam Houston State on Aug. 30, 2025.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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