Kris McCullough was named the interim head coach at East Central (D-II - OK) back in March at just 26 years old.
After graduating with a degree in accounting and initially planning on taking that professional path, McCullough took a few volunteer entry-level coaching jobs at Henderson State (D-II - AR) and Old Dominion before taking a job at ECU, where he was the lowest paid assistant on Al Johnson's staff in 2018.
By 2020 McCullough took the reigns of the offense, and in 2021 he added assistant head coach responsibilities.
After being named the interim head coach heading into this fall, McCullough's and the program dropped their first two games against Harding and Arkansas Tech to start the season 0-2.
However, in the six games that followed, McCullough and East Central went 6-0, and on their first six-game winning streak since the mid-80's and now sit at 6-3 after dropping a game to Ouachita Baptist last weekend with two games left on the schedule.
That momentum sparked ECU leadership to drop the interim title and McCullough is now the new youngest head coach in college football at 27 years old.
“Coach McCullough has earned the title of head football coach at ECU,” school President Wendell Godwin shared.
“He has been instrumental in building a culture of excellence on and off the field. When you consider what Coach McCullough has achieved in his college coaching career, it is quite impressive.”
“We are moving forward with a winner. The support that Coach McCullough and his staff have from the athletes, parents, ECU, donors, and the local community is remarkable. We are excited about our future with this team and our coaching staff. Kris’ focus is more than just developing athletes, he is preparing young men for life.”
In the school's announcement of the news, McCullough shares that he plans to keep the staff intact for years to come.
Stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.