Dan Mullen is by far the highest paid coach in Nevada state history.

UNLV will pay its new football coach $3.5 million per season for five seasons, a deal worth $17.5 million, although he will make at least $18.1 million if he completes the contract can. Mullen replaces Barry Odom, who accepted the head job at Purdue last week. Odom was paid $1.75 million last season, his second with the Rebels. Odom was previously the highest-paid coach in state history in any sport. Mullen also becomes the MW’s highest-paid head coach, passing Colorado State’s Jay Norvell, who made $1.8 million this season. Mullen will reach more than double that number.

By comparison, Nevada’s head football coach Jeff Choate, his 10 full-time assistants and his head strength coach earned a combined $3,168,692 in 2024, meaning UNLV will pay its head coach more next season than Nevada’s top 12 football staffers combined. Choate will make $1.1 million in 2025, the second year of his five-year contract signed last December.

Mullen is eligible for bonuses based on performance, GPA and team retention. He would owe UNLV a $7 million buyout if he left the Rebels before December 1, 2025 to take a Power 4/NFL head coaching job. That would decrease by $1 million per year. The buyout starts at $5 million for a non-Power 4 chief job before Dec. 1, 2025, and declines by $1 million per year. UNLV would owe Mullen 80 percent of his remaining salary if it released him before his contract closes on Dec. 31, 2029.

Mullen also received a $35,000 signing bonus and is expected to receive a $100,000 retention bonus on January 15, 2027. $200,000 on January 15, 2028; and $300,000 on January 15, 2029 if you are still employed at UNLV on those dates. Mullen would receive a $25,000 bonus for leading UNLV to the conference championship game, $50,000 for winning that game and $100,000 for an appearance in the College Football Playoff. His bonus for winning the national championship is $100,000.

Mullen’s contract was obtained from our sister station, KSNV in Las Vegas, through a public records request by UNLV.

Mullen, 52, brings with him a high-profile resume that includes 13 seasons as a head coach in the SEC at Mississippi State and Florida, leading those schools to 11 straight bowl games and four New Year’s Six bowl appearances. In those 13 seasons, he went 103-61 overall and 54-53 in the SEC. Mullen was also Florida’s offensive coordinator for two national championships from 2005 to 2008, where he helped Tim Tebow win the Heisman Trophy under his guidance. Mullen most recently worked as a broadcaster for ESPN.

UNLV went 10-3 this season, its first double-digit win since 1984. That included a third straight win over rival Nevada before the team lost to Boise State for the second straight year in the Mountain West championship game. The Rebels will play Cal in the LA Bowl on December 18th at SoFi Stadium.

You can see Mullen’s full contract below.