Urban Meyer pitches controversial James Franklin replacement who might actually be perfect fit at Penn State

Urban Meyer unveils controversial replacement for James Franklin that could actually make some sense.

Ryan Roberts — National College Football Writer
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Former Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer salutes the fans chanting his name during the College Football Playoff quarterfinal against the Oregon Ducks at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. on Jan. 1, 2025. Ohio State won 41-21.

With the Penn State Nittany Lions recently firing head coach James Franklin, one of the better jobs in college football is now available. We have already seen many potential replacements surface. That includes projected names of interest like Nebraska HC Matt Rhule, Buffalo Bills OC Joe Brady, Syracuse HC Fran Brown, Ole Miss HC Lane Kiffin, and even Urban Meyer. 

It feels like nobody has a clear idea of who the top target will ultimately be, though Rhule’s name has been mentioned most so far. Meyer spoke about the job opening on a recent episode of his podcast, “The Triple Option.” The conversation didn’t center around his potential candidacy. Instead, Meyer spoke about his pitch to take over the Nittany Lions: current UNLV head coach Dan Mullen.

“How about Dan Mullen?” Meyer said to his cohosts Rob Stone and Mark Ingram. “Damn right he is (undefeated)… Scored 51 last week… And you know, he’s from the northeast, by the way.”

Dan Mullen’s coaching resume

Mullen is a very intriguing potential match for the Penn State job, bringing a unique resume to the table. As Meyer mentioned, Mullen is the head coach of the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels. In just his first season with the team in 2025, Mullen has made UNLV a playoff contender as the Group of Five automatic qualifier. They are 6-0, outscoring their opponents by an average 38.2 to 29.7 point margin.

Current Purdue head coach Barry Odom left the Runnin’ Rebels program this offseason, but he did leave them in a very good place for Mullen. This was Mullen’s first college head coaching job since 2021, when he was previously the head coach of the Florida Gators. In four years at Gainesville, Mullen led the Gators to a 34-15 overall record. That included two seasons with double-digit victories.

Mullen had built his reputation while serving as the head coach at Mississippi State, where he held that position for nine seasons from 2009 to 2017. During that stretch, the Bulldogs went 69-46. That is a difficult job, and Mullen did it at a high level. There is little question that he is a good coach and understands how to build programs.

While he isn’t a flashy name, Mullen would actually be an interesting candidate for Penn State. He is clearly a good head coach, and he has managed to win everywhere. As Meyer indicated, Mullen also has some roots in the Northeast. He has spent time at Wagner University and Syracuse University as a graduate assistant, at Notre Dame from 1999-2000, and at Bowling Green as a quarterbacks coach from 2001-2002. Mullen knows the area, which should only help with recruiting.

Only time will tell if Mullen is a serious candidate. It is, at least, an interesting suggestion from Meyer. Sometimes the best candidates are the ones that people don’t consider to be the flashy names.

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