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Gardner-Webb University has staked its football future on one of the fastest-rising names in the college coaching ranks. On December 23, 2025, the Runnin' Bulldogs announced that 30-year-old Kris McCullough will become their next head football coach, bringing his high-octane offensive reputation and proven turnaround track record to Boiling Springs.
The hire gives Gardner-Webb University a young but battle-tested leader at a pivotal moment. The program has flirted with the FCS playoff picture in recent seasons, captured a conference title as recently as 2023 and rebounded to a winning record in 2025. Now the school is betting that McCullough’s blend of innovation, efficiency and rapid program building can elevate the Runnin’ Bulldogs from contender to consistent postseason presence.
McCullough arrives at Gardner-Webb after a meteoric rise through the college coaching ranks. Most recently, he transformed the University of Texas Permian Basin (UTPB) into a Division II national factor, going 28–10 over three seasons in Odessa and guiding the Falcons to multiple playoff appearances.
According to Gardner-Webb’s official release, McCullough’s programs have compiled 37 wins over four seasons as a head coach, a résumé that stands out given his age. He became just the fourth coach in college football history to win 30 games before turning 30, a milestone that illustrates both early opportunity and immediate success. That type of trajectory is rare in a profession where most head coaches spend decades climbing the ladder.
At UTPB, McCullough delivered the first Lone Star Conference championship in program history in 2023 and directed the Falcons to NCAA Division II playoff berths in both 2023 and 2025. Before his arrival, the school had managed only one winning season. By 2025, it was a nationally respected program.
His 2025 season with the Falcons was his most impressive yet. UTPB set a school record with 11 victories, advanced to the Division II national quarterfinals for the first time, and finished No. 3 in both the D2Football.com and AFCA coaches’ polls, the highest rankings in program history. The Falcons defeated Colorado State–Pueblo and Western Colorado in the playoffs before a narrow loss to eventual national finalist Harding ended their run.
National outlets have taken notice. Coverage in West Texas media described McCullough as one of the most sought-after young coaches outside the FBS ranks, and his name surfaced on multiple under-35 and under-40 coaching lists. His 2023 campaign earned him Lone Star Conference Coach of the Year honors and national recognition from Dave Campbell’s Texas Football and College Football Network.
McCullough’s hiring comes barely a week after Gardner-Webb’s 2025 season ended and just days after the program’s previous head coach departed. The Runnin' Bulldogs wrapped up the year at 7–5 overall and 5–3 in the OVC–Big South Football Association, securing a top-half conference finish and outperforming preseason expectations that had them picked sixth.
The 2025 campaign featured a strong closing stretch. Gardner-Webb won five of its final seven games and finished with a competitive 29–24 loss to Western Illinois in the season finale. That run underscored the program’s ability to play with quality FCS opponents when it executed clean, efficient football.
On December 15, the university announced that head coach Cris Reisert would step down after the season. Four days later, he was introduced as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Toledo, leaving a sudden opening in Boiling Springs at a time when most FBS and FCS programs are already deep into staff planning and recruiting for the next year.
The tight timeline made Gardner-Webb’s search particularly sensitive. With the December signing period in full swing and transfer portal activity high, the program needed a coach who could hit the ground running, connect quickly with current players and recruits, and articulate a clear vision for the future.
That context is part of what makes McCullough’s profile so appealing. His track record suggests he can implement systems quickly, win buy-in from players and staff, and generate early momentum on and off the field.
Gardner-Webb is not starting from scratch. The Runnin’ Bulldogs have already shown they can compete in the FCS landscape, particularly since joining the OVC–Big South football partnership.
The program captured a share of the Big South–OVC title in 2023 and advanced to the FCS playoffs, marking one of the high points in recent school history. The following season, Gardner-Webb slipped to 4–8 in 2024, then rebounded sharply to 7–5 in 2025 with a more competitive conference performance and strong late-season push.
Historically, Gardner-Webb has been a factor in its league across multiple eras. The Runnin’ Bulldogs won Big South titles in 2002 and 2003 and added another conference championship in 2023. They play home games at Ernest W. Spangler Stadium, a 9,000-seat venue that has hosted some of the program’s most memorable moments. The broader athletic department competes at the NCAA Division I level, primarily in the Big South Conference, with football aligned in the OVC–Big South association at the FCS level.
In 2025, Gardner-Webb’s schedule again illustrated its willingness to challenge itself. The Runnin’ Bulldogs played multiple FBS opponents and pushed eventual OVC–Big South champion Tennessee Tech, providing evidence that the program’s ceiling extends beyond mid-pack finishes when it executes its game plan and manages turnovers.
For recruits, that backdrop matters. Choosing an FCS program that has already proven it can win conference titles and make the playoffs, and that regularly schedules up against FBS opponents, offers both exposure and a tangible pathway to meaningful postseason football.
McCullough’s reputation centers on explosive offenses that pair aggressive play design with a strong emphasis on efficiency and ball security. His 2025 UT Permian Basin team produced one of Division II’s most prolific passing attacks and ranked among the national leaders in several key categories, including:
That last category is especially notable. It suggests that McCullough’s programs do not simply outscore opponents with offense; they also commit to building disciplined, opportunistic defenses capable of complementing an up-tempo style. His teams’ statistical profiles have consistently underscored schematic creativity paired with attention to detail on both sides of the ball.
Before UTPB, McCullough’s breakout moment came at East Central University in Oklahoma. Elevated from offensive coordinator to interim head coach in March 2022, he was named permanent head coach that October. In his first season, he led East Central to a 9–3 record and a Heritage Bowl victory, the program’s best campaign since the early 1990s.
That East Central squad offers a window into his preferred blueprint. The team led Division II in turnover margin and ranked near the top nationally in both time of possession and fewest turnovers committed. In other words, McCullough’s offenses attacked aggressively while still valuing the football, sustaining drives and keeping his defense off the field.
Earlier stints as an assistant at Fairmont State, Old Dominion and his alma mater Henderson State gave McCullough exposure to a variety of offensive systems and special teams responsibilities. Combined, those experiences helped shape a coaching profile that is far more seasoned than his age might suggest.
For prospective student-athletes and high school coaches, those patterns are instructive. Players in quarterback-friendly or receiver-heavy high school systems may be drawn to an offense that stretches the field vertically and horizontally. Running backs and offensive linemen can look at the time-of-possession and efficiency metrics and see a balanced attack that still values physicality and ball control. Defenders can point to UTPB’s pass defense numbers as evidence that McCullough’s staff invests in all three phases.
Gardner-Webb vice president and director of athletics Brendan Fahey highlighted McCullough’s track record of sustained success when introducing the new coach. In particular, Fahey pointed to:
From the university’s perspective, those accomplishments suggest McCullough can build a sustainable winning culture, not just engineer a short-term spike in performance. His collection of awards only reinforces that belief: the 2023 Lone Star Conference Coach of the Year honor, national recognition from Dave Campbell’s Texas Football and College Football Network, and repeated inclusion on “rising coach” lists.
McCullough’s personal comments have emphasized fit as much as ambition. In his first public statements after the hiring, he said his family was excited to move to Boiling Springs and join the Runnin’ Bulldog community. He described Gardner-Webb as a program with meaningful history and acknowledged that reaching its potential will require collective work from players, alumni and supporters.
That framing matters in today’s recruiting climate, where continuity, alignment and community buy-in can be just as important as playbook details. Recruits and their families increasingly look for programs where the head coach’s vision matches the university’s mission and where off-the-field support structures are clearly defined.
McCullough’s move to Gardner-Webb marks his first head-coaching opportunity at the Football Championship Subdivision level. While the jump from Division II to FCS is not as steep as the FCS-to-FBS leap, it still presents new challenges:
However, many of the core elements that defined McCullough’s Division II success are highly transferable. Turnover margin, third-down efficiency, explosive play rate and red-zone performance are central metrics at every level of college football. Coaches who can consistently win those battles often outperform programs with more resources.
Authoritative sources like the NCAA and American Football Coaches Association have pointed out that coaching transitions are most successful when staffs balance scheme installation with culture building and roster evaluation. For example, the AFCA regularly highlights programs that prioritize communication and player development during coaching changes as models for sustainable success (https://www.afca.com). At the FCS level, where margins are thin, that approach can be the difference between a 7–4 playoff team and a 5–6 squad that narrowly misses the postseason.
External analysis of coaching trajectories also shows that successful Division II head coaches can thrive when promoted to FCS or FBS levels, especially when they bring a clear offensive or defensive identity. Data and reporting compiled by national outlets like https://www.ncaa.com and major college football analytics sites consistently emphasize that scheme continuity and staff cohesion help mitigate the challenges of moving up a level of competition.
Gardner-Webb’s expectation is that McCullough will bring the same up-tempo, pass-friendly framework that powered his teams at East Central and UTPB, while adjusting it to fit FCS talent, OVC–Big South defensive tendencies and the Runnin’ Bulldogs’ existing roster strengths.
From a recruiting standpoint, the timing and profile of this hire are significant. The announcement came in late December, coinciding with an important stretch in the recruiting calendar that features the early signing period and heavy transfer portal traffic.
McCullough’s arrival gives Gardner-Webb a distinctive pitch:
For offensive skill players, particularly quarterbacks and wide receivers, McCullough’s past offenses are a clear selling point. At UTPB, his teams regularly finished among the national leaders in passing and total offense. At East Central, they balanced explosive plays with outstanding ball security and clock control.
Defensive recruits can point to UTPB’s ranking among Division II leaders in pass defense as proof that they will not be an afterthought. McCullough’s programs have shown the ability to complement aggressive offense with disciplined, opportunistic defense.
For families navigating the recruiting process, tools that help compare programs, understand roster needs and match academic fit are increasingly valuable. Platforms like Pathley’s AI-powered recruiting assistant can support that decision-making by surfacing schools such as Gardner-Webb that align with a recruit’s athletic profile, academic goals and geographic preferences. Athletes can explore that kind of tailored guidance using Pathley Chat at https://app.pathley.ai/ or build a free profile and college list at https://app.pathley.ai/sign_up.
With McCullough now in place, Gardner-Webb turns its attention to several immediate priorities:
The 2026 schedule is expected to mirror recent seasons, featuring a blend of OVC–Big South matchups and high-profile nonconference games, including FBS opponents. Those contests will provide an early barometer for how quickly McCullough’s style translates at the FCS level.
Longer term, the university is clearly betting that an innovative young coach with a proven history of rapid improvement can help Gardner-Webb chase:
For high school and transfer athletes considering their options, the story unfolding in Boiling Springs highlights an important truth about the modern recruiting landscape: opportunities are expanding across all levels of college football. A program like Gardner-Webb, with Division I resources, a strong academic profile and a rising-star head coach, can offer a path to meaningful playing time, postseason competition and personal development both on and off the field.
Coaching transitions can create uncertainty, but they also open doors. When a new staff arrives, every player effectively gets a fresh evaluation. For recruits, that means paying attention not just to the school’s name, but to how a new coach’s history aligns with their goals.
When evaluating the impact of a hire like McCullough’s, athletes and parents can ask:
Digital tools can help answer those questions. By aggregating performance data, roster information and academic details across hundreds of schools, AI-driven platforms like Pathley make it easier to compare options side by side and discover programs that might otherwise stay off the radar. Families can start that process at Pathley’s main site, https://www.pathley.ai/, which provides an overview of how AI recruiting tools support better-informed college decisions.
Ultimately, Gardner-Webb’s decision to hire Kris McCullough signals more than just a coaching change. It reflects a broader strategic bet on youth, innovation and proven efficiency. In a sport where coaching trees and conventional résumés often dominate hiring cycles, the Runnin’ Bulldogs have chosen a leader who climbed quickly by winning early and often at places that lacked a long track record of success.
If McCullough can replicate his Division II formula at the FCS level, Gardner-Webb could solidify itself as a perennial factor in the OVC–Big South and a regular presence in the FCS playoff conversation. For recruits, that makes Boiling Springs an increasingly compelling destination, combining a history of conference championships with a coach whose trajectory suggests the best may still be ahead.
For athletes, parents and coaches following this hire and others like it, the message is clear: the right fit is out there, and it might be at an emerging program led by a rising star rather than a traditional powerhouse. Leveraging tools that illuminate those opportunities, and tracking coaching moves like McCullough’s to Gardner-Webb University, can make all the difference in finding the ideal college football home.
