LAS VEGAS — Mike Scherer is returning to UNLV after one season at Purdue, bringing back a coach who helped build one of the most productive defensive stretches in program history.
Scherer will join Dan Mullen’s staff in 2026 as the Rebels’ linebackers coach after spending last season as Purdue’s defensive coordinator and linebackers coach under former UNLV head coach Barry Odom. His return gives UNLV an experienced defensive assistant with direct knowledge of the program, the Mountain West and a position group that became central to the Rebels’ rise during his previous two seasons in Las Vegas.
Purdue struggled during the 2025 season, but Scherer’s defense still produced three all-conference players. Former UNLV linebacker Mani Powell was among them, leading the Big Ten with 94 tackles during conference play and finishing with 110 tackles overall. Powell also recorded at least 12 tackles for loss and five sacks, continuing the type of second-level production that became familiar during Scherer’s first stint at UNLV.
The Purdue season adds another year of coordinator experience to Scherer’s résumé, but his most relevant work for UNLV remains what he accomplished with the Rebels from 2023-24.
Scherer Helped Build UNLV’s Defensive Turnaround
Scherer served as UNLV’s defensive coordinator and linebackers coach during the first two seasons under Odom, a stretch in which the Rebels won 20 games, reached consecutive Mountain West Championship Games and earned back-to-back bowl appearances for the first time in program history.
UNLV’s defense became particularly effective at creating negative plays and taking the football away. Across the 2023 and 2024 seasons, the Rebels forced 50 turnovers and intercepted 34 passes, ranking fourth nationally in total takeaways and second in interceptions during that span. UNLV also recorded 67 sacks and consistently produced tackles for loss from multiple levels of the defense.
The improvement did not happen all at once. UNLV allowed 28.6 points per game during Scherer’s first season in 2023, but the defense already showed the traits that would become more pronounced a year later. The Rebels intercepted 17 passes, finished with a plus-eight turnover margin and repeatedly created extra possessions even when opponents were still able to move the ball.
That production was spread throughout the defense. Cameron Oliver and Jaxen Turner each recorded five interceptions in 2023, while Johnathan Baldwin added two. At linebacker, Jackson Woodard finished with 116 tackles, Marsel McDuffie added 89 and Baldwin recorded 77, giving UNLV consistent production in the middle of the defense while the overall system continued developing.
The following season showed what that structure could become with another year of experience.
UNLV’s 2024 Defense Became One of the Mountain West’s Best
UNLV made significant statistical progress in 2024 and finished nationally ranked in several defensive categories. The Rebels were fourth in interceptions, 15th in sacks, 18th in third-down defense, 20th in tackles for loss and 22nd in rushing defense.
The run defense was particularly notable considering UNLV faced Boise State running back and Heisman Trophy finalist Ashton Jeanty twice. The Rebels still allowed only 115 rushing yards per game, the best mark in the Mountain West, while holding opponents to 21.3 points per game.
UNLV also limited opponents to a 32.18% conversion rate on third down and finished the season with 98 tackles for loss, 42 sacks and 17 interceptions. Those numbers gave the defense several ways to end possessions. The Rebels could win early downs against the run, create pressure in passing situations and generate turnovers when quarterbacks attempted to attack downfield.
That defensive improvement helped UNLV win 11 games and defeat Cal in the LA Bowl, completing one of the best seasons in program history.
Scherer’s return does not mean UNLV is simply recreating that defense under Mullen, but it does give the Rebels a coach who has already helped build a successful one using the type of roster available in Las Vegas.
Linebacker Development Became a Major Part of Scherer’s Success
Scherer’s most significant impact at UNLV may have come through his position group.
Woodard developed into the first All-America linebacker in program history during the 2024 season and was named Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year. He finished with 135 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and four interceptions, becoming one of the most productive defenders in the country.
The production extended beyond Woodard. Fisher Camac recorded 15 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks, Antonio Doyle Jr. added eight tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks, and Powell finished with nine tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. UNLV was able to generate pressure and negative plays from several linebackers rather than depending on one defender to carry the entire front seven.
That distribution became one of the strengths of Scherer’s defense. Linebackers were asked to play downhill against the run, participate in pressure packages and remain active in coverage, creating opportunities for several players to affect games in different ways.
Safety Jalen Catalon also became one of the defense’s most productive playmakers in 2024, finishing with 96 tackles and five interceptions while earning third-team Associated Press All-America honors and becoming a Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist.
The overall result was a defense with production throughout the middle of the field rather than one dependent on a single pass rusher or defensive back to create disruptive plays.
Scherer Has Developed Productive Linebackers Beyond UNLV
Scherer’s history with linebackers extends beyond his previous time with the Rebels.
At Arkansas, he coached Drew Sanders, who earned first-team Associated Press All-America honors, and Grant Morgan, who won the Burlsworth Trophy. He also worked with Bumper Pool, who became one of the most productive tacklers in Arkansas history during a multi-year career with the Razorbacks.
Scherer’s connection to the position also comes from his own playing career. He played linebacker at Missouri from 2012-16 before beginning his coaching career there as a graduate assistant.
That combination of playing experience, SEC development and his previous work at UNLV gives Mullen a position coach with an established record of producing linebackers at several levels of college football.
Scherer Returns to a Different UNLV Program
The UNLV program Scherer returns to is different from the one he joined in 2023.
The Rebels were still trying to establish themselves as a consistent Mountain West contender when Odom and Scherer arrived. Since then, UNLV has reached three consecutive conference championship games, made three straight bowl appearances and produced consecutive double-digit-win seasons.
The challenge is no longer proving that UNLV can compete near the top of the conference. Mullen and his staff are trying to sustain that level while navigating annual roster turnover and replacing productive players and coaches without forcing the program to start over.
Bringing Scherer back should help with that transition. He already knows the environment in Las Vegas and has experience developing the type of linebackers UNLV has relied upon during its recent success. His previous results also give current and prospective players tangible evidence of what the position can produce under his coaching.
His role will be different this time. Scherer is returning to oversee the linebackers rather than simply walking back into the same defensive structure he left behind. Mullen will still determine how the entire defensive staff fits together and what elements of previous systems carry into 2026.
What UNLV does know is what Scherer has already produced in Las Vegas.
The Rebels did not have to project whether he could develop linebackers, create disruptive players or operate successfully within the program. They have two seasons of evidence showing that he can.
For a UNLV team trying to preserve the progress it has made while continuing to rebuild portions of the roster each offseason, bringing Scherer back gives Mullen one fewer unknown on defense.