A lot a talk is going around about Dan Mullen should be fired on social media. If that comes to pass it might depend on how Dan handles this current adversity. But at the absolute minimum, we all can clearly see there needs to be a change at defensive coordinator.

A History of Defensive Problems

Paul Guenther has been one of the worst defensive coordinators in football, and his track record speaks for itself. He was the defensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals during a stretch they were a decent defense but repeatedly marked by devastating fourth-quarter defensive collapses.

Then came the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020. That defense was near the bottom of the NFL in points allowed per game and struggled badly to generate pressure and sacks. Guenther was fired before the season was even over.

In 2024, he was the defensive run-game coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys, and Dallas had one of the worst run defenses in the NFL. They allowed 2,331 rushing yards, 4.8 yards per carry and 25 rushing touchdowns.

Now he is at UNLV, and we are seeing the same problems all over again: massive defensive meltdowns, an inability to play a complete game, and a defense ranking near the bottom of college football in opponent yards per play, opponent rushing yards per game, opponent red-zone scoring percentage, and points allowed per opportunity.

This is not one bad game. It is not one bad matchup. It is a pattern.

A Friendship Spanning More Than 30 Years

And it's time for Dan Mullen to truly judge his college buddy, Paul Guenther! These two go all the way back to their college football days at Ursinus and have been friends for over 30 years.

But here's the interesting part: Mullen didn't even hire Guenther to be his defensive coordinator!

He hired Zach Arnett for that job, currently the defensive coordinator at Mississippi State Bulldogs, and brought Guenther in as associate head coach and safeties coach. Guenther only became defensive coordinator because Arnett unexpectedly resigned.

So why wasn't Guenther Mullen's first choice to begin with?

Mullen gave his longtime buddy an opportunity, promoted him, and has given him more than enough time to prove himself.

Loyalty to UNLV Must Come First

Paul Guenther has had problems everywhere he has gone, and now UNLV is having the same defensive breakdown

At some point, loyalty to your college buddy has to take a back seat to loyalty to UNLV.

Dan, you've given your buddy his chance. It's time to move on!

The Decision Facing Dan Mullen

This moment is the true measure whether firing Dan Mullen is the answer or not. I’m not convinced yet changing the head coach alone fixes this. But at the absolute minimum, UNLV needs a change at defensive coordinator.

Something has to change.

UNLV GO ... Fight ... Win!

Just sayin!