Dan Mullen shoots down interest in Arkansas job, calls for Razorbacks to hire Gus Malzahn

UNLV coach Dan Mullen wrote Friday on X he has “0.0 interest” in the Arkansas head coach job. However, he called for the Razorbacks to hire Florida State offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn.

Mullen’s name has come up a few times in the early part of the coaching carousel, which is already starting to spin. But he made it emphatically clear he plans to be at UNLV next year. The Rebels are off to a 6-0 start to his first season at the helm.

In his post Friday, Mullen doubled down on his interest in leaving. He said he’s not eyeing the Arkansas job, but said Malzahn should be the guy for the Razorbacks.

0.0 interest in Arkansas. Thanks for the shout out though. Y’all need to hire Gus Malzahn.

— Dan Mullen (@CoachDanMullen) October 17, 2025

“0.0 interest in Arkansas,” Mullen wrote in response to a video of reporter Mike Irwin addressing his rumored interest. “Thanks for the shout out though. Y’all need to hire Gus Malzahn.”

Malzahn, of course, is in his first season as Florida State’s offensive coordinator after leaving UCF at the end of the 2024 season. A former Auburn and Arkansas State head coach, he has a career 105-62 record.

Mullen’s name has come up in early conversations for multiple job openings. On3’s Pete Nakos listed him as a name to watch for both the Arkansas and UCLA jobs after those opened. But former Ohio State and Florida coach Urban Meyer suggested Mullen for another job: Penn State.

“How about Dan Mullen,” Meyer said on The Triple Option. “Damn right he is (undefeated) … Scored 51 last week … And you know, he’s from the northeast, by the way.”

Dan Mullen: ‘I’m gonna be the head coach at UNLV’

However, speaking with reporters this week, Dan Mullen proclaimed he’d still be with the Rebels next year as the rumors swirl. He definitively said as much during a press conference this week and said he told the players the same thing.

“I’ll be here. … You want me to do that? I’m gonna be the head coach at UNLV next year,” Mullen said. “I’ll be here. I’m not going anywhere. … I said it to the players. I told them that.”

Mullen spent some time away from coaching after his departure from Florida, but returned to the sidelines this year at UNLV following Barry Odom’s departure. So far, it’s been a strong start as UNLV takes an undefeated record into Week 8’s matchup against Boise State.

In the era of the transfer portal, Mullen’s message to the players was simple. He doesn’t want them worrying about him leaving.

“It’s the transfer portal world,” Mullen said. “I said, ‘Don’t get all excited and think I might go somewhere you think is, like, a better place. I’m gonna be here.’ You guys are stuck with me.”