LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Two former Mississippi State football head coaches are teaming up at UNLV. Dan Mullen was named the new head coach earlier this week, and on Wednesday he added Zach Arnett to his staff as defensive coordinator.
Mullen and Arnett take over a Rebels team that finished 11-3 in 2024, losing the Mountain West conference title game to Boise State before defeating California in the LA Bowl on Wednesday night.
Mullen served as head coach at Mississippi State from 2009 to 2017, overseeing one of the most successful periods in program history before leaving to take the head coaching job at Florida. He finished with a 69-46 overall record in Starkville, and 5-2 in bowl games with the Bulldogs.
Mullen was the head coach of the Gators from 2018 to 2021 when he was fired midseason. He worked as an ESPN on-air analyst until his appointment at UNLV.
Arnett joined the Bulldogs in 2020 as defensive coordinator under Mike Leach. He was named head coach of the Bulldogs from the end of the 2022 season, following Leach’s untimely death, and remained through 2023 until he was fired midseason. Arnett was eventually replaced by current head coach Jeff Lebby.
During the 2024 season, Arnett worked as an analyst for Lane Kiffin’s coaching staff at Ole Miss. The team finished the regular season 9-3, missing out on the College Football Playoff.
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