UNLV Rebels Head Coach Dan Mullen Has Had 'A Huge Smile' Since Returning To Coaching

The UNLV Rebels football program shocked the college football world this offseason when they somehow managed to lure former Florida Gators head coach out of the TV studio to take over their head coaching job. Coming back to coaching was a big decision for Mullen and his family. He was also returning to a game that is very different from the one he left just a few years ago. Mullen recently sat down with CBS Sports and spoke about these topics in length.

Dan Mullen On Accepting The UNLV Job

"Since that day (I took the UNLV job), I've been happy. I don't have one regret. Not one day I don't have a huge smile on my face... They'd be like, 'No way you're getting back into it... When you have wives coming up saying you've made such an impact on my husband, it hits a note with you... In the past, I would tell myself to find some reasons why I should do this. For UNLV, I was trying to find reasons not to . The second I have to try to find a reason why I should be excited about this job, I don't need it. This hit a lot of things."

Mullen On SEC Fans Compared To UNLV Fans

"There are 15 fan bases at the end of the year that expected to win the SEC championship that didn't... I loved the fan base and everything that happened, but once you start tasting some filet mignon, that hamburger steak doesn't taste as good anymore."

Mullen On How Leaving The Game Helped Him Adjust To Changes

"The game has changed quite a bit and seeing it from afar made it a lot easier. If I stayed in coaching, I don't know if I'd be able to handle where I'm at right now. The changes would have been a lot harder. To see all the different changes from afar for three years certainly made it easier to reset who you are... Go put a smile on your face, let's go have a drink, enjoy it for five minutes and go celebrate. Take the family to Hawaii. Enjoy it. It's hard to do. Having been out a couple years, I'm going to make sure I enjoy doing this. Now, trust me, you've seen me: on game day, I'll bite your head off. That part of me is not going to change, but I'm going to try to enjoy the whole process."

Mullen On Bringing In Power 4 Talent Through The Transfer Portal And How The Portal Has Changed The Game

"You can't take everybody that is a 'Last Chance U' guy," Mullen said. "You can't have a roster where everybody hasn't played much. You have to get the right combination. … The first question I ask guys is, 'Why?' Why did you get in the portal? I want to know your 'why' to see how you fit, not just as a talented player, but how your personality fits within our program... Back in those days, we developed players. Three years down the road, that group would be special. That doesn't exist anymore, and you have to come to grips with that. How we built the program at Mississippi State doesn't exist in college football anymore. It just doesn't, and it's hard, so you have to evolve. It still doesn't mean you can't develop in your own way. You take that enjoyment in developing kids, but it's just going to be in a shorter window and an accelerated pattern."