2022 East Central Tigers football team

The 2022 East Central Tigers football team represented East Central University (ECU) in the 2022 NCAA Division II football season as a member of the Great American Conference (GAC). The Tigers were led by Kris McCullough in his first and only season as head coach. The Tigers finished the season 9–3, going 8–3 in conference play to finish tied for third place in the GAC. This was the best finish in program history since the 1993 season when the Tigers finished 10–3 and won the NAIA Championship. The team played its home games at Koi Ishto Stadium in Ada, Oklahoma.

The Tigers were invited to the Heritage Bowl, defeating 38–21. Following the season, McCullough announced that he would be stepping down after accepting the head coaching job at Texas–Permian Basin.

Coaching changes
On March 12, 2022, head coach Al Johnson was hired to be Wisconsin's running backs coach, with offensive coordinator Kris McCullough being named the Tigers' interim head coach. McCullough was 26 at the time, making him the youngest head coach in all of college football. The interim tag was removed mid-season, with McCullough being hired as the full-time head coach on October 27.

GAC coaches poll
The GAC coaches preseason poll was released on August 2, 2022. The Tigers were predicted to finish sixth in the conference.

Schedule

 * Schedule source: