UNLV DC resigns, ex-Raiders coordinator takes over on interim basis

UNLV defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Zach Arnett has resigned for personal reasons, coach Dan Mullen announced Monday.

Associate coach Paul Guenther, the Raiders former defensive coordinator, will be the Rebels’ interim defensive coordinator.

The school did not provide additional details on the reasons behind Arnett’s decision.

Arnett, 38, was hired at UNLV after spending a season as an analyst at Ole Miss under coach Lane Kiffin. Arnett was Mississippi State’s coach for parts of two seasons before that.

The Albuquerque, New Mexico, native began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at San Diego State in 2011. He went on to become the Aztecs’ defensive coordinator and linebackers coach.

Arnett was hired to be Mississippi State’s defensive coordinator and linebackers coach in 2020, then was put in charge of the team on an interim basis after coach Mike Leach died in December 2022. Arnett was given the job full-time but was fired with two games remaining in his first full season. The Bulldogs finished 5-6 under him.

Guenther, 53, was hired by UNLV in March after coaching 21 seasons in the NFL for five different teams. He was in charge of the Raiders’ defense from 2018-2020, a stretch that included the franchise’s move to Las Vegas.

The team finished 32nd, 24th and 30th in points allowed in his three seasons as defensive coordinator.

Guenther spent last season as the Cowboys defensive run game coordinator.

UNLV returns to the field Tuesday for its sixth spring practice out of 15. It’s the team’s first spring under Mullen, who was hired in December after spending three seasons as a TV analyst.

The former Florida and Mississippi State coach — who did not overlap with Arnett in Starkville, Mississippi — replaced Barry Odom, who left for Purdue.

Odom led the Rebels to the Mountain West title game in each of his two seasons with the program.

Contact Ed Graney at egraney@reviewjournal.com. Follow @edgraney on X.