Graney: Dan Mullen is a proven winner, but has a tough act to follow

What the UNLV football program is getting in Dan Mullen is a proven winner. A coach who has done it at the highest collegiate level in the best of conferences. A former national coach of the year.

One who also has a big challenge ahead of him.

To keep this thing rolling.

To continue the team’s winning ways.

UNLV under Barry Odom proved it can be done at the school. Four decades of mostly losing later, the Rebels won 19 games the past two seasons and twice made the Mountain West championship game. An entire city awoke to support UNLV.

“It’s not what it was like before,” senior defensive back Jalen Catalon said. “We’ve all seen now that there can be success here. There can be something special here. The city of Vegas rallied around us.

“The message (to younger players) is to have the same mindset, the same demeanor with pride — be proud to be a Rebel.”

And don’t worry about how long Mullen might be in Las Vegas.

Others notice winning

You don’t pass on such hires out of fear. This is the reality of a Group of Five program. Odom was the reality. If you win big at UNLV, others will come calling with fat checkbooks.

The Power Four conferences will notice.

But when you have a chance to land a coach who won more than 100 games in the SEC, you do it every day and twice on Sunday.

I can’t believe athletic director Erick Harper considered many (any?) other candidates once he was informed of Mullen’s interest. I can’t believe he didn’t quickly make up his mind once conversations began.

Contract details — it reportedly will be a five-year deal to start — will be made public. I also have a feeling UNLV stepped up big-time here, as much as it could financially, to entice Mullen.

He has experience building programs to great heights, which he did at Mississippi State and Florida. Made them better right away. But that’s the thing. The blueprint for winning at UNLV was created by Odom. It’s in place. It’s possible to keep such a thing going.

And yet there is work to be done.

The Rebels started 17 seniors across both lines of scrimmage this season. That’s a lot of real estate to replace. It’s also unknown how many of those returning could dive into the transfer portal.

Mullen will obviously work to bring in his own transfers, and nothing speaks louder (well, other than NIL dollars) than the opportunity for immediate playing time. His résumé has every chance to deliver recruiting success.

Those preparing for the team’s game against Cal in the LA Bowl on Wednesday envision few things changing on the scoreboard.

“This is a winning program,” interim coach Del Alexander said Thursday. “Over the last two years when you’re talking about the (returning) players who helped establish that, they have helped control what has happened to this point.

“Having coached here before, my first year we went 0-11. I’ve been on the bottom. And now, we’re pretty good.”

So is Mullen. He is one of the nation’s leading offensive minds, having created as a coordinator under Urban Meyer at Florida a spread offense many to this day mimic in their own schemes. Mullen saw 76 players under his head coaching guidance drafted into the NFL.

These are things that will pique the interest of recruits. These are facts that will open the eyes of the types of players he’ll need.

Keep it rolling

Jacob De Jesus is a departing senior wide receiver who, if given a chance to speak with Mullen, would offer these words: “I would just say you have a lot of hungry guys on a team that’s been part of a winning program.

“They know what it takes to win games. They’re smart players who will get after it.

“In the era of Coach Odom, we were here every day since fall camp. That’s what it takes to have success. I’d tell him he has a group of guys who are ready to work. He has a lot of good players here. He’s going to be OK.”

What the Rebels have in their new coach is a proven winner.

The challenge is to continue such.

To keep this thing rolling.

Ed Graney, a Sigma Delta Chi Award winner for sports column writing, can be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com. He can be heard on “The Press Box,” ESPN Radio 100.9 FM and 1100 AM, from 7 to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday. Follow @edgraney on X.