College football fans usually don’t see eye to eye on many things, especially with rival programs. However, one thing all college football fans can agree on is that UCLA has been pound-for-pound the worst program at the D1 level for the last 3 years. They went from Chip Kelly to Deshaun Foster to whoever’s coming next. The Bruins are going through a historically bad year; they are 0-4 heading into Week 6. Many big-time media outlets believe it won’t get better for the Bruins, and there is a good chance they could go 0-12 this year. And former All-American turned analyst Adam Breneman called out the real reason for UCLA’s downfall.
On September 28, Breneman hopped onto his podcast and pointed out a harsh reality: “UCLA might be too broke to be a big-time college football program. Let’s break it down. The UCLA athletic department has had over $200 million in debt over the past five years. That’s why they moved to the Big Ten, because they’ll collect $30 million per year in new TV revenue besides Chip Kelly. It’s why all their recent coaching hires haven’t worked out.”
The Bruins have a serious money problem. UCLA hopped over to the Big Ten conference from the Pac-12 last season, along with in-state rival USC football. Everybody knows the Big Ten offers way more money from TV deals than the Pac-12 ever did, which UCLA desperately needed to keep its sports programs afloat and perhaps avoid cutting some teams. According to The Athletic, they’re valued at around $340 million. Their stocks have dipped within a year. Last year, CNBC put the valuation at $472 million. The team pulls in about $42.2 million in revenue each year.
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Adam Breneman believes UCLA took some shortcuts and hired OCs/DCs instead of investing in big-time coaches to avoid spending big on football and to cut costs. UCLA hasn’t been the same since the COVID era; its last successful season was in 2022 when it went 9-4. Deshaun Foster was a 72-hour hire by UCLA. Eighteen months and a 5-10 record later, the Bruins decided to let him go. There was no way he was going to succeed with UCLA heading in this direction.
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Breneman believes this type of rushed, low-budget hire is the real problem. Now, UCLA has a big decision to make. Do they spend big to hire a top coach and compete with the rest of the Big Ten? Or do they keep making excuses and focus on basketball instead?
Adam Breneman suggested some big-time names who are killing it in their respective conferences: “Here’s my short list for UCLA. First, Will Stein, Oregon’s offensive coordinator; then Dan Mullen, the head coach at UNLV. They should also look at Spencer Danielson, the head coach at Boise State, as well as Florida State defensive coordinator Tony White.” By hiring these coaches, UCLA wouldn’t have to worry about the LA recruiting pipeline; it’ll all fall into place. Out of these, the best hire would be the $17 million man.
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The $17.5 million man: Dan Mullen for UCLA?
UNLV pulled off a coup this offseason, luring former SEC stalwart Dan Mullen to Las Vegas with a hefty five-year, $17.5 million deal. Taking the reins of a program that just a year ago was “a game away” from the Mountain West championship, Mullen expressed his intent to not only compete in the Mountain West but also on the College Football Playoff stage. UNLV had to move mountains to get Dan Mullen out of the TV business.
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“You know what, it was hard. It was a tough decision. I really enjoyed TV. A big family decision,” Mullen said. “You know, we started talking, and, you know, the last couple of years I just—nothing, you know—I’d get calls, and I would just say it’s not going to interest me. And then in October, I said, all right, I talked to my wife. I said if people call, we’ll listen. Maybe we’ll have some conversations this year.”
Fast forward to Week 5 of college football, UNLV is rolling, boasting an undefeated 4-0 record as of late September, highlighted by a notable home victory over UCLA. If UCLA is serious about making a splash in the Big Ten, Dan Mullen presents a compelling case as a potential head coach. First off, he’s a proven winner, leading Mississippi State to unprecedented heights, even reaching No. 1 in the AP Poll in 2014, and securing two top-10 finishes at Florida. Do you think he can deliver on his promise? Let us know in the comments.