It’s mid-October, but the coaching carousel is already starting to spin. Multiple power conference jobs are already open, most recently at Penn State after the firing of James Franklin.

One name coming up in the early part of the cycle is Dan Mullen, who has UNLV off to a 6-0 start in his first season at the helm. However, he made it clear he plans to stay in Las Vegas in 2026.

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.”

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.”

Mullen has a career 109-61 record as a head coach at Mississippi State, Florida and UNLV. He led MSU to a 10-win season and a Top-12 finish in 2014 before heading to Gainesville in 2018, where he worked until 2021. From 2022-24, he worked for ESPN as a studio analyst and calling Thursday night primetime games alongside Matt Barrie before getting back in the game at UNLV this year.