Brent Key Named to the 2025 Dodd Trophy Preseason Watch List

Nov 29, 2024; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key before a game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

When the calendar turns to July, that means that watch list season in college football is upon us. Today, the Dodd Trophy's preseason watch list was announced and Georgia Tech's Brent Key was on it.

Georgia Tech coach Brent Key is one of 26 coaches named to the preseason watch list for the 2025 Dodd Trophy

— Chad Bishop (@MrChadBishop) July 7, 2025

Managed by Peach Bowl, Inc. and presented by PNC Bank, The Dodd Trophy, college football’s most coveted national coaching award, celebrates the head coach of a team who enjoys success on the gridiron, while also stressing the importance of scholarship, leadership and integrity – the three pillars of legendary coach Bobby Dodd’s coaching philosophy. Now celebrating its 50th anniversary this season, the award was established to honor the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division 1A) head football coach whose program represents the highest ideals on and off the field.

The watch list was created through a selection process by the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Peach Bowl, Inc. taking into consideration each program’s Academic Progress Rate (APR), Graduation Success Rate (GSR), commitment to service and charity in the community, as well as projected success for the 2025 season.

Of the 26 coaches on the watch list, three are previous winners of The Dodd Trophy, including Dabo Swinney (2011), Brian Kelly (2018) and Marcus Freeman (2024).

Additionally, four of the finalists for last year’s award are represented with Kenny Dillingham (Arizona State), Dan Lanning (Oregon), Jeff Monken (Army) and the eventual winner of the 2024 Dodd Trophy, Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman.

The SEC leads all conferences with eight coaches named to the preseason watch list, followed by the Big Ten and Big 12, who each have five coaches represented. Four ACC coaches were included on the list, along with two AAC representatives and one coach from the Mountain West.

A midseason watch list – adding to or narrowing the field – will be released in the fall. A panel consisting of previous winners, national media, a member of the Dodd family and a College Football Hall of Fame member will identify the final list of potential recipients at the conclusion of the 2025 season. The winner of the 2025 Dodd Trophy Presented by PNC Bank will be announced in Atlanta during the week of the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.

Starting in September on a weekly basis, the Dodd Coach of the Week Award will also honor coaches whose program embodies the award’s three pillars of scholarship, leadership, and integrity, while also having success on the playing field during the previous week.

After back-to-back seven-win seasons, it seems like Key's program might be ready to break through in a bigger way. Since taking over as the head coach, Key has put together two impressive seasons of wins over ranked teams and has added more talent to the roster. With enough returning experience, coaching stability on the offensive side of the ball, a talented transfer portal and high school recruiting classes, and a favorable schedule, some are projecting Georgia Tech to be among the ACC's top teams.