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Gardner-Webb Will Not Explain Why It Fired Football Coach After One Game

#College Football
by Last Updated
Kris McCullough Gardner-Webb Football Coach Suspended Why Allegations Fired Offensive Coordinator

iStockphoto / Gardner-Webb University Athletics

Kris McCullough has been fired by Gardner-Webb


Kris McCullough is no longer the head football coach at Gardner-Webb. He has been fired after just one game. The school has not told anyone why.

The decision comes after an internal investigation into off-the-field allegations. The Runnin’ Bulldogs have provided zero clarity throughout the process.

As a result, speculation into his wrongdoing has been circulating on social media. For now, there are more questions than answers.

Gardner-Webb fired Kris McCullough

McCullough was hired in December to replace Cris Reisert, who stepped down to become offensive coordinator at Toledo. He’d previously coached the University of Texas-Permian Basin where he led a pair of playoff teams.

Last Thursday, he made his debut on the sidelines with his new program. The Runnin’ Bulldogs were dismantled by Austin Peay. Whispers of a suspension followed.

It was reported that an investigation was underway, which was celebrated by a disgruntled former assistant. McCullough’s future relied on the outcome of the probe. Gardner-Webb was weighing all possible options.

On Wednesday, word was made public of the coach’s firing. His tenure will end after one game.

Garnder-Webb won’t say why.

FootballScoop provided an update on the decision after ESPN’s Pete Thamel confirmed the firing. The site is reporting the reasoning as being an “off the field” matter, but details beyond that remain unclear.

The school confirmed the suspension Monday, stating McCullough was out “pending the outcome of an ongoing investigation” and that (Pete) Bennett would serve as interim head coach. The university has offered no additional comment on the nature of the allegations.

The school has not made comment on the firing at the time of this writing. The most recent Instagram post is a promotion for the Bulldogs’ upcoming game vs. Wofford.

The top pinned message on the football team’s X account is McCullough’s hiring announcement.

The football program did post a three-sentence blurb on the athletics website Monday, which confirmed the suspension and investigation. It did not explain why McCullough was being punished.

There has been no update on the firing, and no reasoning provided for Kris McCullough’s swift exit from Gardner-Webb. The allegations brought against the former coach have still not been made public.