Is Marcus Arroyo The Frontrunner For Mountain West Coach of the Year?

A discussion on Marcus Arroyo’s MW COTY campaign.

Is Marcus Arroyo The Frontrunner For Mountain West Coach of the Year?

UNLV has emerged as one of the top Mountain West teams

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Can Arroyo win the Coach of the Year award?

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In five games, Marcus Arroyo has UNLV in a position to compete for a Mountain West Championship in 2022. If UNLV stays on the right path for the rest of the season, he could be in line to win the 2022 Mountain West Coach of the Year award.

Not many people expected the Rebels to be a conference contender in 2022. He outperformed expectations in the early part of the season and put his team at the top of the Mountain West.

In the most recent game, UNLV erased a 17-0 deficit and defeated New Mexico 31-20. That game showed UNLV’s resilience and ability to fight back.

UNLV is tied with Boise State for the most wins in the Mountain West in the season. With a 4-1 overall record and a 2-0 Mountain West record, UNLV sits atop the West Division.

The program already doubled its win total from last season. With two wins in the Mountain West, UNLV has the same number of wins in conference play from last year. The Rebels finished the 2021 season with a 2-10 record. The 2021 season began with an 0-8 start.

This season is off to a much better start and the Rebels are poised to have the program’s first winning season since 2013. The Rebels went 7-6 in 2013 and have not won more than five games in a single season since then.

Doug Brumfield has seemed to be the answer at quarterback. In the past, the quarterback position was a problem, but Brumfield has been a consistent presence for the team.

The upcoming schedule will dictate how the season ultimately plays out for UNLV, but regardless of the end result, the start of the season is an accomplishment for Arroyo and his program. The next five games for UNLV are against San Jose State, Air Force, Notre Dame, San Diego State, and Fresno State. San Jose State has been the only future opponent without a really bad loss in 2022. Air Force, Notre Dame, San Diego State, and Fresno State all stumbled at some point since the start of the season.

UNLV could have trouble in the next three games against San Jose State, Air Force, and Notre Dame. On the other side, the games against San Diego State and Fresno State are looking like winnable games for the Rebels with recent struggles from the two teams. The conference is up for grabs and UNLV can catch the college football world by surprise with a deep run in the second half of the season. Having a great start to the season turned out to be a great cushion for the rest of the way.

If Arroyo can lead the Rebels to a bowl game, he should be in the conversation for the Mountain West Coach of the Year. He is looking to join John Robinson as the only other UNLV head coach to win the award.