Source – ESPN analyst Dan Mullen agrees to be UNLV head coach

ESPN college football analyst Dan Mullen, the former head coach at Florida and Mississippi State, has agreed in principle to a five-year deal to be UNLV‘s next head coach, a source told ESPN’s Pete Thamel on Thursday.

The deal isn’t signed, but it is expected to be finalized in the near future, a source told ESPN.

Mullen last coached with the Gators in 2021, when he was fired after four seasons with a 34-15 record, an appearance in the SEC championship game and three New Year’s Six bowl games. Prior to that, he coached nine seasons at Mississippi State, and he has a career record of 103-61 over 13 seasons.

Mullen joined ESPN as a college football analyst in 2022.

He replaces Barry Odom, who left UNLV to take the head coaching job at Purdue on Dec. 8.

Odom went 19-8 in two seasons and led the Rebels to back-to-back Mountain West championship game appearances.

UNLV (10-3) will face Cal (6-6) in the Art of Sport LA Bowl on Wednesday (9 p.m. ET, ESPN).

Football Scoop first reported Mullen’s candidacy with UNLV.