Despite 1-3 start, Brent Key Still Believes He Made The Right Coordinator Hires This Offseason

Georgia Tech is 1-3 to start this season and there is not a lot of good that can be said about how they are playing entering their bye week. The Yellow Jackets have taken a huge drop on offense, and the defense remains inept, which has been the norm under Brent Key.

Key is hard at work to try and get things turned around this season and talked about that at length in his press conference today:

"I stood before the team this morning and had a long meeting with them and spoke the same way, but also the reality of things have to change. Things have to be corrected because a lot of things have happened are self-inflicted. A lot of times, we have 11 independent contractors on the field at all times in all our phases, there's 11 independent contractors. We're not playing together. We're not playing together, for each other. We're not playing for Georgia Tech, and that'll change. That will change."

One of the criticisms about this Georgia Tech team has been the performance of the two new coordinators. George Godsey replaced Buster Faulkner this offseason, and Jason Semore replaced Blake Gideon. Under Faulkner, Georgia Tech had one of the best offenses in the country and Faulkner currently has the Florida Gators offense as one of the best in the nation through four games. Key has not been able to get the defensive side of the ball correct, but Semore was supposed to bring an attacking style of defense that creates havoc and forces turnovers. That has not happened yet so far this season.

When asked today about the hires of Godsey and Semore, Key said he still beleives in this duo, while also acknowledging that the results have not been there:

"Confident they are (right for the jobs). You look at the first four games and say look at success and you're like, 'Are you crazy?' But we'll make necessary adjustments throughout the next two weeks to help put them in better position to be able to call the game and execute the game plan. But I still have confidence. I do."

Lots of room to improve

Alberto Mendoza Georgia Tech — Sep 26, 2026; Stanford, California, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Alberto Mendoza (15) looks to pass during the third quarter at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Any head coach is going to say he has confidence in his coordinators, especially after four games, but Georgia Tech has a lot of work to do on both sides of the ball if they want to have any chance at turning this season around.

Georgia Tech ranks 122nd in rush defense, 95th in sacks, and 109th in turnover margin. The Yellow Jackets pass defense had been through the first three games, but they were shredded by Stanford QB Davis Warren on Saturday night. There are injuries in the secondary and on the defensive line, but it is not like Georgia Tech has played a strong set of opponents aside from Tennessee.

Offensively, it took until the third quarter of the second game for the Yellow Jackets to score an offensive touchdown. The offensive line has been a mess and is currently banged up, the running game has not been effective, and those two things have put a lot of pressure on Alberto Mendoza. Mendoza has been solid, but when he is asked to do too much, he can force the issue and turn the ball over.

Georgia Tech currently ranks 14th in the ACC in total offense, 11th in passing offense, 15th in rushing offense, 12th in scoring offense, and 16th in sacks allowed. They have not scored more than 27 points against an FBS opponent this season.

There are eight games left to go this season, but the early returns on the hires of Godsey and Semore have not been good.

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