Mullen brings ‘SEC mentality,’ championship dreams to UNLV football
Jake Pope began his college football career at Alabama.
From there, he went to another SEC power in Georgia.
From there, he landed at UNLV as a junior defensive back.
But what he sees and hears on a daily basis with the Rebels mirrors the experience of his previous stops.
From the nation’s most powerful conference.
There’s a reason for that: Dan Mullen.
The new UNLV coach spent more than 20 years in the SEC, including stops running programs at Mississippi State and Florida. He knows better than anyone else what makes the conference so terrific, how much talent there is throughout it.
“It’s what we want here under coach Mullen — that SEC mentality with the same goals,” Pope said. “There’s only one way you can do it — have a good culture in the locker room and work hard every day. No individuals. I think we’re going to have an SEC-type team in the Mountain West.
“I learned (in the SEC) how to do things, how to be a pro, no clowning, be serious about your work. I want to do the same here. We have an opportunity to make history in Las Vegas, to win the Mountain West and make the College Football Playoff for the first time. Make history for the city and all the fans supporting us.”
It’s a mantra Mullen also preaches. He wants to do what hasn’t been done at UNLV.
To build a conference champion and compete on the grandest stage in college football.
Media days
“All I have known for 20 years has been (the SEC),” Mullen said. “So now I look at the (Mountain West) and have that same (mentality) of building a program and going and competing in (the College Football Playoff).
“If that means we have to run a program like those in the SEC or ACC or Big Ten, we’re going to do that so we can be on that level and go compete with those teams.”
Mullen answered questions for 90 minutes Thursday at Mountain West media days at Circa. One centered on a recent ESPN article that ranked the nation’s best active college football coaches. Mullen came in at No. 6.
“We all know how that goes — it’s 6 inches from a pat on the back to a kick in the rear end,” Mullen said. “You can go from being really, really smart to really dumb as a coach just like that. I’ve been fortunate to coach some really good football players.”
The Rebels open camp Wednesday, a week earlier than expected. Their home game against Idaho State was moved to Aug. 23 because of a scheduling conflict at Allegiant Stadium with the Canelo Alvarez-Terence Crawford fight.
The change means UNLV, picked to finish second in the Mountain West in the league’s preseason media poll, will have three weeks off this year.
“I don’t know if I’ve had three byes before,” Mullen said. “But we’ve had some long seasons. I’ve played Week Zero before. When there was a chance this might happen, we discussed it and had a plan for whenever the game might be.
“When you have bye weeks, it’s about what the team needs and where you are during a season. Make sure guys are both fresh physically and mentally.
“It’s an exciting time for us. Kind of wakes you up out of the summer when you have media days. We’re back at it in six days and have a lot of grind and work to do.”
Just like those SEC teams.
Contact Ed Graney at egraney@reviewjournal.com. Follow @edgraney on X.
