Wofford’s week two matchup against Gardner-Webb has suddenly taken on a much different complexion, as the Runnin’ Bulldogs will head to Spartanburg without their head coach following an off-field controversy that surfaced just days after the opening game of his tenure.
Gardner-Webb announced Monday that first-year head coach Kris McCullough has been suspended pending the outcome of an ongoing investigation. Special teams coordinator and tight ends coach Pete Bennett has been named interim head coach and is expected to lead the Runnin’ Bulldogs against Wofford on Saturday afternoon at Gibbs Stadium.
The university did not disclose the specific nature of the investigation in its announcement, but McCullough’s suspension comes amid reports of off-field allegations involving the 30-year-old head coach. FootballScoop first reported Sunday that Gardner-Webb was evaluating its options in response to “off the field” matters involving McCullough before later reporting that the university had suspended him.
Exactly what those off-field allegations entail has not been made public. Gardner-Webb has offered no details regarding the conduct being investigated, when the university became aware of the situation or how long McCullough’s suspension could last. The university’s entire public statement said that McCullough had been suspended pending the outcome of an ongoing investigation, Bennett would serve as interim head coach and Gardner-Webb would have no additional comment at this time.
That lack of detail leaves plenty unknown, but what is clear is that this isn’t a football-related suspension stemming from Gardner-Webb’s performance in its season opener. McCullough’s status changed amid an off-field controversy that surfaced publicly over the weekend, and Gardner-Webb moved quickly enough that Bennett will now be running the program as it prepares for only its second game of the season.
The timing is pretty remarkable considering McCullough has coached exactly one game at Gardner-Webb. He was hired in December after three seasons at Division II UT Permian Basin, where he continued a rapid rise through the coaching ranks that made him one of the youngest head coaches in college football. McCullough brought a 37-13 career record to Boiling Springs after successful stops as the head coach at East Central and UTPB.
His Gardner-Webb debut came Thursday night at nationally-ranked Austin Peay, where the Runnin’ Bulldogs fell behind 21-10 at halftime before eventually losing 35-17. By Sunday, reports of the off-field situation involving McCullough had surfaced. By Monday, Gardner-Webb had formally suspended its new head coach and turned the program over to Bennett on an interim basis.
That is quite a bit of turmoil for a program to deal with before its second game, and the next opponent on the schedule happens to be a Wofford team that couldn’t have asked for a much better start to the season.
The Terriers opened 2026 with a 42-14 beatdown of The Citadel at Gibbs Stadium, racing out to a 21-0 halftime advantage and eventually pushing the lead to 42-7 before a late Citadel score in garbage time. Wofford was in complete control for essentially the entire night, and the performance has already started to generate some national attention for a team that entered the year with hopes of taking another significant step forward.
Wofford received 29 votes in the latest AFCA FCS Coaches’ Poll, putting the Terriers in a tie for No. 28 nationally with Idaho State when extending the voting beyond the official Top 25. The Terriers are now legitimately knocking on the door of their first Top 25 appearance of the season, and another convincing performance Saturday certainly wouldn’t hurt that cause.
The betting market has also installed Wofford as the favorite. The Terriers opened as a 5.5-point favorite over Gardner-Webb in a matchup that already looked favorable following Wofford’s dominant opener, even before Gardner-Webb’s sudden coaching turmoil became the biggest storyline surrounding the game.
It makes for a pretty bizarre week two at Gibbs Stadium. Wofford is coming off a 28-point rivalry win, sitting just outside the Top 25 and looking for a 2-0 start. Gardner-Webb is coming off an 18-point loss and will spend the week preparing under an interim head coach while the man hired to lead the program less than nine months ago remains suspended amid an investigation into off-field allegations.
There will undoubtedly be more interest in exactly what led to McCullough’s suspension as the investigation plays out. For now, those specifics remain unknown, and Gardner-Webb has made it clear that it isn’t offering anything beyond its initial statement.
What is known is plenty significant on its own. One game into the Kris McCullough era, Gardner-Webb’s head coach is suspended amid an off-field controversy, an interim coach is now in charge of the program while the Runnin’ Bulldogs are headed to Spartanburg to face a Wofford team that suddenly finds itself on the doorstep of the FCS Top 25.