It's Championship Game or Bust for Dan Mullen and the UNLV Rebels

The expectation for the UNLV Rebels football team this season is that they make it back to the Mountain West Conference Championship Game this season. Despite this being new head coach Dan Mullen's first season with the team, Dice City Sports does not believe he gets any grace period like most first-year head coaches get. They believe it's the Mountain West Championship Game or bust for Mullen and the Rebels.

Dice City Sports Take:

"The rankings were unveiled during Mountain West Media Days held at Circa Las Vegas, providing an early look at the power structure for the upcoming season. Both programs enter the year with significant transitions. Dan Mullen steps in as UNLV’s head coach after Barry Odom departed following a historic two-year run. Under Odom, the Rebels posted a 19-8 record and broke through with an 11 win campaign in 2024, including a bowl victory and the school’s first ever national top 25 ranking.

Most new head coaches are afforded a grace period, a year to build culture and establish footing. But Dan Mullen won’t have that luxury at UNLV. After back-to-back title runs under Barry Odom, anything short of another Mountain West championship berth would be seen as falling short of expectations."

While this take seems unfair, it's also accurate. Expectations are sky high for the Rebels, and bringing in a head coach of the caliber of Mullen only raises those already high expectations. Mullen comes with a ton of praise and big contract. He's expected to win, and if he doesn't, it will be a disappointment