UNLV has clarified that athletic director Erick Harper misspoke when he said the school could only afford the first two years of new football coach Dan Mullen’s contract.
In a statement, the school said Harper’s comments were based on incomplete information about the contract.
“UNLV athletics can fulfill all of its coaching contracts,” the school said, via the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
“To clarify, multiple funding sources cover the costs of all athletics department salaries, including revenues (ticket sales, multi-media rights, etc.), philanthropy, conference revenue distributions, and direct and indirect institutional support.”
UNLV’s comments come after Harper told the school’s Board of Regents that the athletic department faces at least $26 million of debt and suggested that the program could only fund the first two years of Mullen’s five-year, $17.5 million contract.
“We have the funds to pay the coach over the next two years,” Harper initially said.
“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,” he added.
The school hired Mullen to lead its football program in December to replace the outgoing Barry Odom, who left the team to become the head coach at Purdue.
In turn, Purdue will pay UNLV $3 million to buy out Odom’s contract and that money is expected to be handed out in two equal $1.5 million installments over the next two years.
Mullen is set to be paid $3.5 million per year, according to the terms of his contract with UNLV.
That deal includes an annual $100,000 retention bonus that begins in 2027 and other bonuses of $25,000 for playing in the Mountain West title game, and $100,000 if he leads the team to the College Football Playoff.
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