Brent Key Named One Of the Nation's Most Underrated Coaches Heading Into The 2026 Season

Key has rebuilt Georgia Tech in the past three seasons, yet does not seem to get the credit he deserves for the job he has done

Dec 27, 2025; Orlando, FL, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key looks on against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the fourth quarter during the Pop-Tarts Bowl at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

As Georgia Tech begins spring practice today, they are also beginning the fourth year under the direction of head coach Brent Key. Key has brought Georgia Tech back to relevance and he is looking to build on the 9-4 season that the program had last season.

Yet, it does not feel that Key gets the respect he has earned through the first three years. Entering the 2026 season, Georgia Tech remains an underdiscussed program and Key an underrated coach. In fact, CBS Sports Brad Crawford named him one of the most underrated head coaches in the country coming into the year:

"We'll see how Key performs without Haynes King at quarterback and hot-shot offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner calling the shots, but the most impressive quality about him is how well his team personifies their coach. Key, a former offensive guard with the Yellow Jackets, believes in the smash mouth, line-of-scrimmage extreme on gamedays, and few teams play harder than his inside the Power Four. Key's mentality and overall team discipline would flourish at a perennial nationally-ranked program with better talent, but for now, he seems intent on trying to win a conference championship in Atlanta. Consecutive one-score losses to arch-rival Georgia have been tough to stomach, but it proves how hard this team plays under his watch."

Big Year Ahead

Dec 27, 2025; Orlando, FL, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key talks with the referee against the BYU Cougars during the first half at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Despite what he has done through the first three years of his tenure, Key and Georgia Tech face some questions coming into the year.

As Crawford mentioned, Georgia Tech is losing Buster Faulkner and they are going to have a quarterback not named Haynes King for the first time since Key was elevated to the head coach position after the 2022 season. The Yellow Jackets also took some losses at other positions as well. Wide receiver, offensive line, and the secondary saw some departures, but Georgia Tech also brought talent in.

This is going to be the first quarterback competition that Georgia Tech has had since Key's first season, when it was Haynes King and Zach Pyron battling for the starting spot. Whoever wins is going to have the luxury of having one of the best backfields in the country of Justice Haynes and Malachi Hosley to hand off to and lead the offense.

There are plenty of notable changes to this Georgia Tech team compared to years past and this is where Key can certainly show that he is still being underrated by the college football world.