UNLV AD Says School Can’t Afford Back Half of Football Coach Contract

Dan Mullen’s stay at UNLV might be shorter than anticipated. 

On Friday, the Rebels’ athletic director, Erick Harper, told the school’s Board of Regents that the athletic department is carrying a significant debtload and only has the money to pay for the first two years of Mullen’s five-year, $17.5 million contract, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. A UNLV spokesperson did not immediately reply to a request for comment. 

It’s not the first time the Rebels have had a hard time making payments. In September, UNLV starting quarterback Matt Sluka entered the transfer portal three games into the season over alleged unpaid name, image, and likeness (NIL) funds from the school’s collective. The team went 7–3 without him and won its first bowl game in 24 years, but the decision drew national headlines over NIL and its lack of regulation. Sluka transferred to James Madison after the season. 

Mullen has yet to coach a game in Las Vegas after being hired in December to replace Barry Odom, who went 19–8 in two seasons and led the school to its first bowl game in nine years. Odom became head coach at Purdue and left UNLV’s program in a better position than when he started, paving the way for Mullen’s hire, which has led to an increase in ticket sales, Harper told the Regents. Mullen previously coached at Mississippi State and Florida and is 103–61 as a head coach. 

Despite that, UNLV’s athletic department is between $26 million and $31 million in debt, leading regent Joe Arrascada to ask how the school plans to pay for Mullen’s contract. Harper replied that he hopes to pay the rest of it through donations and increased football revenue, which includes raising ticket prices. 

“We have the funds to pay the coach over the next two years,” Harper told the board last week, according to the Review-Journal. “We have been working with our donors to assist with philanthropic dollars. We have one that has already paid their commitment, and that money is in an unrestricted line and that will be utilized in the future to help with the salaries.”

Harper is also seeking more donors to help fund the salaries of athletic staff in the near future. He told the board that UNLV football revenue is $2.5 million in 2025, up from $1.8 million last year. Arrascada questioned the sustainability of Harper’s approach. 

“Impressive numbers, but fans are fickle,” Arrascada said. “One bad season, those numbers can plummet.”

UNLV has some cash coming from the Mountain West conference, which is expected to pay the school between $19 million and $24.8 million for agreeing to stay in the conference after five schools left for the Pac-12 conference ahead of next season. The Mountain West and Pac-12 are currently in mediation over the three schools that filed lawsuits over poaching fees for leaving the conference. 

Mullen isn’t the only coach impacted by UNLV’s finances. Basketball coach Kevin Kruger is in his fourth year running the program and has yet to make the NCAA Tournament despite a winning record. The Runnin’ Rebels, once one of the sport’s premier programs under Jerry Tarkanian haven’t made the NCAA Tournament in 12 years, assuming they don’t win the Mountain West tournament this week. Kruger is under contract through the 2026–27 season and has a buyout of $2.35 million.