Mullen Practices Humility, but his past gives Rebels a Reason for Optimism

UNLV football coach Dan Mullen was both flattered and bashful after finding out he was named the 14th-best college football coach over the past 20 years.

ESPN's ranking, unsurprisingly, had Nick Saban in the top spot, given all the National Championships he won. Georgia's Kirby Smart came in at No. 3, followed by Urban Meyer at No. 5 and Jim Harbaugh at No. 6. Dabo Swinney took the 10th spot. All of these coaches have impressive championship credentials.

UNLV fans should see particular significance in Mullen's inclusion.

After a four-year hiatus, Mullen brings decades of SEC coaching experience to Las Vegas. That puts him in a perfect spot to build on UNLV's recent success. ESPN's list required at least nine years of coaching experience, highlighting the depth of Mullen's resume.

Mullen deflected the praise with a witty comment. “Coaching is 6 inches between a pat on the back and a kick in the rear end,” he said. “You can go from being really, really smart to really dumb as a coach.”

He may be modest, but the numbers give him a strong case. With a 103-61 record over 13 seasons at Mississippi State and Florida, he's a proven winner. Plus, he's developed quarterbacks like Tim Tebow and Dak Prescott. Regardless, Mullen refused to take credit.

“I was fortunate enough to be on that list and coach some really good football players throughout the years,” he said this week at the Mountain West Media Days at Circa. “Our job is to put young men in a position to succeed, and I think our staffs throughout the years, we’ve had some very talented players, and we’ve been able to put them in that position.”

Mullen is very optimistic about his upcoming Rebels' team. It's typical for coaches to show confidence in their squads at the beginning of the season. However, since Mullen has a track record of winning at the highest level, his words carry weight. So just how good is this UNLV team?

“Go back to the 2014 team,” he said of Mississippi State’s team that finished 10-3 in one of the program’s most successful seasons. “I had a feeling we had a pretty good team. We ended up being No. 1 in the country for (four weeks). I kind of like our (UNLV) team. I don’t know the league, though. So that’s the hard part.”

Mullen takes over a program that's fallen short in the Mountain West Championship game in consecutive seasons. As they look to overcome Boise State, they are led by a coach with a championship track record. That is something Rebels' fans can find solace in as they anxiously await the new season.