They may not even realize it, but Dan Mullen and Ryan Silverfield shared a connection long before their names were linked to the Arkansas football job this year.
The two coaches have never worked in the same league, let alone on the same staff. In fact, the closest their careers ever came to intersecting was in 2005. That year, Mullen followed Urban Meyer to Gainesville, helping lay the foundation for a run that would ultimately produce two national championships for the Gators. Meanwhile, Silverfield landed his first Division I coaching job, placing him under a mentor who would have a similarly profound influence on his career and help guide him through its ups and downs.
A Quiet Link Through a Small Pennsylvania College
The man who hired a 24-year-old Silverfield to coach Jacksonville University’s quarterbacks in 2005 was Steve Gilbert, the same coach who once recruited and mentored Mullen at Ursinus College, a small Division III program in Pennsylvania.
More than ten years separated Gilbert’s time with the two men, and 20 years have passed since Silverfield’s lone season with him in Jacksonville. Yet the longtime coach still sees echoes of Mullen in Arkansas’ new head man.
"A lot of the things that Ryan and Dan Mullen have in common is that they were both very driven, real smart, really good with people,” Gilbert told Best of Arkansas Sports. “Some of those factors I’m sure have led to both of their success in college coaching.”"Steve Gilbert
Mullen, after becoming an all-conference tight end for Gilbert, jump-started his coaching career with stints at Wagner and Columbia before breaking into the FBS ranks as a graduate assistant at Syracuse and Notre Dame.
Mullen’s Rise and Rebound
Mullen eventually parlayed that climb into the Mississippi State head coaching job, where he engineered unprecedented success. Three top-15 finishes followed during his time at Florida, even if his tenure ultimately ended with dismissal.
After three seasons as an analyst for ESPN, Mullen returned to the sideline in 2024. Taking over a resurgent UNLV program revitalized by former Arkansas defensive coordinator Barry Odom, he led the Rebels to 10 wins and a berth in the Mountain West Championship Game. This is just a reminder of his elite coaching instincts even with the time away from the game.
Silverfield’s Unorthodox Career Path
Following a drama-filled season at Arkansas in 2006, Malzahn left for Tulsa, where success came quickly. Tulsa’s high-flying offenses helped make head coach Todd Graham a rising star, leading Graham to major jobs at Pittsburgh and later Arizona State.
In 2015, Graham and his offensive coordinator Mike Norvell hired a young offensive analyst named Ryan Silverfield. That's when it all started for the young up and rising coaching status for Silverfield.
Even though Silverfield left midseason to join the Detroit Lions as an assistant offensive line coach, his brief stint in Tempe proved invaluable. When Mike Norvell was hired as Memphis’ head coach later that year, he brought Silverfield with him, giving him his first on-field FBS role as the Tigers’ offensive line coach. Silverfield never left Memphis after that, steadily rising from analyst to key assistant positions. Those steps ultimately propelled him to the Memphis head coaching job and now to Arkansas.
A Coach Who Still Sees Two Driven Young Men
For Steve Gilbert, watching both of his former protégés succeed has been rewarding, but Silverfield’s latest chapter hits a bit differently.
"“I’m an overnight Arkansas fan now,” Gilbert admitted. “That’s how much I want to see Ryan succeed.”"
Mullen and Silverfield may never have crossed paths directly, but they share an early influence, a coach who saw in both of them the same drive, intelligence, and ability to connect with people. Two decades later, those traits have carried each man to prominent head-coaching positions. Seeing if Silverfield can take that next leap, jumping from the Group of 5 ranks into the tough SEC, will be great to watch over the years. Can he follow a similar path to stardom like Mullen did? If so, Arkansas football will be in good hands.