UNLV Rebels Head Coach Dan Mullen: "They’re All Making Different Amounts Of Money"

UNLV Rebels head football coach Dan Mullen returned to coaching last offseason after three years in the TV studio. He led the Rebels to another successful season, reaching the Mountain West Championship game for a third consecutive season. After returning to a college football model that is very different from the one he left when he left the Florida Gators, he spoke to the UNLV official website about dealing with some of those changes.

UNLV Rebels Head Coach Dan Mullen On Players Having To Deal With NIL Deals Changing The Dynamic And Causing Jealousy In The Locker Room

"Listen, if our guys want to go play in the NFL, they better get used to that," Mullen said. "I can go right down the street to the Las Vegas Raiders’ complex, and they’re all making different amounts of money."

Mullen On Fans Now Having To Become Attached To The Program Rather Than Players Because Of The Transfer Portal

"That’s where you encourage your fan base to become more attached to the program.

Now, one part that is going to be difficult — and we’re going to see this become more of a thing the further down the road we get — is how players are viewed by fans and the university in a historical context. For instance, here at UNLV, Randall Cunningham is a Rebel through and through. Tim Tebow is a Florida Gator through and through. Now you’re going to start seeing fans say things like, “Man, he was awesome for us! But he was only here for two years. And now he also has an attachment to another fan base.”

So when it comes to fan connections with players, it’s going to be less of a year-to-year issue and more about how fans will have fewer historical ties to all-time greats."

Mullen On The Positives Of The Transfer Portal

"I also think the transfer portal can be very positive. For one thing, you can fix your program quicker if you make a mistake in recruiting.

The troubling part is how certain things have been set up.

The fact that football’s three-week transfer window [in winter] starts in December instead of January — which would align more with a university’s calendar — makes no sense. Also, because the lifespan of a team now is one year, January to January, that should be the only window; there shouldn’t be a spring transfer portal.

Now, that second one actually helped us this year; we lost very little and added some great pieces. But I believe what’s good for the game is to have one window. That way our student-athletes understand when they sign with a school that it’s a [minimum] commitment of exactly one year."

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