Georgia Tech Offensive Coordinator Hot Board 1.0: Who Could Replace Buster Faulkner?

Georgia Tech is looking for a new offensive coordinator.

It was reported earlier this evening that Buster Faulkner was going to be leaving The Flats to be the next offensive coordinator at the University of Florida. Faulkner has been with Georgia Tech since Brent Key was hired as the full-time head coach in 2023 and directed one of the best offenses in the country and the ACC for the past three seasons. He was also instrumental in developing Haynes King into the quarterback that he became. Georgia Tech was reportedly willing to match any offer for Faulkner, so does that signal they would pay top dollar for a new offensive coordinator?

So where does Key look now for a new play-caller? This is going to be a pivotal hire for him and here are a few names that could be thrown around.

Note: This is not a report of candidates who Georgia Tech is interested in or candidates who have expressed interest in Georgia Tech. This is just pure speculation.

Promote Internally

While it would not be popular, Key could just promote from within, assuming no other offensive coaches leave with Faulkner to go to Florida. He knows his staff better than anybody and could decide to have continuity with the staff and coaches who have familiarity with the roster.

Options would be Chris Weinke, Norval McKenzie, Trent McKnight, and Geep Wade. Weinke has been coaching Haynes King and Aaron Philo and has plenty of familiarity with Philo, who is Georgia Tech's projected starting QB next season. McKenzie has done a great job as a coach and recruiter, but has never called plays. Wade was the offensive coordinator for UT Martin in 2009 and 2018. Wide receivers coach Trent McKnight was the offenisve coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Georgia State from 2022-2023.

Corey Dennis

Dennis is of course a former Georgia Tech player, playing from 2011-2014 and is the current offensive coordinator at UNLV, where he has been for one season. Before he was on Dan Mullen's staff, he was at Ohio State, where he was the QB coach from 2020-2023.

He has only been a coordinator for one season, but UNLV is one of the top offenses in the country. This is a very intriguing option.

George Godsey

Godsey's name was brought up last time that Brent Key made a hire and the former Georgia Tech quarterback is surely going to be mentioned again. Godsey has not coached in college since 2010 when he was at UCF and I would be hesitant about bringing in a coach who has not been in college for so long, but it is worth a mention.

Tashard Choice

Choice is another former Georgia Tech player and was recently the Yellow Jackets running backs coach from 2019-2021, coaching with Brent Key under Geoff Collins. Choice left to be the running backs coach at Texas and is currently with the Detroit Lions as their running backs coach, where he gets to coach Jahmyr Gibbs.

I think it would be difficult to get Choice from the NFL and he has never been a play caller, but he is a dynamite recruiter and could be a high upside swing.

Jordan Davis

Davis is currently the offensive coordinator for North Texas, which is one of the top scoring offenses in the country. North Texas head coach Eric Morris is leaving to be the head coach at Oklahoma State and while Davis could go with him, it could be worth a call for Brent Key to gauge his interest. Davis has followed Morris from previous stops before. He has been the offensive coordinator for only two seasons and has previously been at Incarnate Word and Washington State before that.

Brian Daboll

While it might be a longshot, there is some connection here that is worth mentioning.

When Brent Key was the offensive line coach at Alabama in 2017, Daboll was the offensive coordinator for the Crimson Tide and they won a national title together that season. You know who was an offensive analyst on that staff as well? None other than Georgia Tech quarterbacks coach Chris Weinke.

Daboll left for the NFL and was just fired as the New York Giants' head coach earlier this season. He has been rumored to be in the mix for the Penn State job, but if he does not get that, would he want to become a college offensive coordinator or wait for an NFL job as a play caller or quarterbacks coach?

Daboll is experienced and helped develop Josh Allen into an MVP caliber player in Buffalo. You at least make the call to see the interset level.

Chip Kelly

Another name that might be a longshot, but like Daboll, he is unemployed and would fit the kind of style that Key wants while also bringing head coaching experience to the staff.

Kelly was most recently the offensive coordinator for the Las Vegas Raiders, but was fired before he could finish the year. Last season, he was the offensive coordinator for Ohio State when they won the national championship. He can coach a great run game, which is obviously something Georgia Tech cares about.

The knocks on Kelly were that he was reportedly not interested in recruiting while he was the head coach at Oregon and UCLA.

A longshot, but again, he is worth a call.

Gus Malzahn

This might not be a popular name, but Malzahn should get a mention here.

This is provided that he is not back as the offensive coordinator at Florida State. There have been rumors of the Seminoles making a change or Malzahn possibly retiring. This season, Florida State was No. 13 in rushing offense and 9th in total offense. He has head coaching experience from his time at Auburn and UCF. He is a good recruiter and knows the Southeast area well.

The knocks on Malzahn are the quarterback development from a passing perspective and quarterback recruiting. It is easy to negatively recruit against Malzahn's offense because it is so run heavy. Does he still want to coach?

Would not be my first call, but he coaches a good run game and his offenses are explosive. It could be a different way to attack defenses, similar to how Faulkner did.

John David Baker

From former head coaches to a current offensive coordinator.

John David Baker is currently the offensive coordinator at East Carolina, and the Pirates had one of the best offenses in the country this season. The Pirates finished 14th in the country in total offense as they went 8-4 this season and 15th in passing offense. He is one of the names being mentioned for jobs across the country and is generating plenty of interest from other programs.

Jonathan Brewer

Brewer is currently the offensive coordinator at Duke, a team that Key and Georgia Tech are plenty familiar with.

The Blue Devils have one of the top passing offenses in the country and their offense is the main reason they are playing in the ACC title game this weekend (as well as stupid tiebreakers). Quarterback Darian Mensah is the ACC's passing leader in terms of yards and passing touchdowns, finishing with 28 this season.

Would Brewer leave for another job in the ACC? He is certainly worth a look and his scheme might fit well with Aaron Philo.

Kirby Moore

Moore is currently the offensive coordinator at Missouri and the orchestrator of one of the top rushing attacks in the country.

Missouri finished 8th in the country in rushing offense this season and running back Ahmad Hardy was one of the top offensive players in the SEC and the country. Running the bal is what Georgia Tech wants to do, but could Key pry him away from the SEC? That would be a challenge, but it might be worth it.

Mack Leftwich

Let me be clear, this is probably the most unrealistic name on the list, but it is worth a shot if you are Key and Georgia Tech.

Leftwich is the offensvie coordinator at Texas Tech, the No. 4 team in the country who is set to play for the Big 12 title on Saturday. Texas Tech pays their coaches well and would certainly match any offer for Leftwich, but it is worth a shot.

The Red Raiders are 4th in the country in total offense and 8th in the country in passing offense. It would be a grand slam, but again, it is very unlikely.

Joe Moorhead

Moorhead is currently the head coach at Akron, where he is doing an admirable job at one of the hardest jobs in the country.

Before that, he was previously the Oregon offensive coordinator under Mario Cristobal. He has also been the head coach at Mississippi State for two seasons and was the offensive coordinator at Penn State under James Franklin.

He would bring plenty of experience, including as a head coach.

Ricky Rahne

Another group of five head coach.

Ricky Rahne is currently the head coach at Old Dominion, who was one of the top teams in the Sun Belt this season. Not only that, but the Monarchs had one of the best offenses in the country, ranking 16th in total offense and 7th in rushing offense. Their quarterback, Colton Joseph, was one of the best at the G5 level and is currently in the transfer portal.

Rahne was the former OC at Penn State and there have been rumors of him going to Virginia Tech to team up with James Franklin, but he shot those down (for now). Woud he be interested in Georgia Tech?

Andy Kotelnicki

While things did not work out well for Kotelnicki at Penn State, he was one of the hottest names a few years ago when he was the offensive coordinator at Kansas under Lance Leipold.

Kotelnicki is a great coach when it comes to play design and using pre-snap motion to create explosive plays. He is far from the worst option on the board and someone I would be interested in.

Bill O'Brien

Bear with me for a second.

First, O'Brien coached Brent Key while Key was a player at Georgia Tech and then Key was a GA for O'Brien. While O'Brien is a current head coach, Boston College just finished 2-10 and their quarterback, Dylan Lonergan just entered the transfer portal.

While their season was terrible, O'Brien had them ranked 16th in passing offense and they were in a bowl game just last year. There is a connection to Key and he is plenty familiar with Georgia Tech. It is not impossible as an out of the box idea is all I am saying.

Kade Bell

Another offensive coordinator within the ACC. Bell has been the offensive coordinator for Pittsburgh for the past two seasons since he arrived from Western Carolina (Where he coached against Georgia Tech in 2022) and the Panthers have one of the best offenses, especially passing offenses in the country.

I find it unlikely that Bell would leave Pitt for Georgia Tech, but it is worth a shot.

Final Note

This is just a list of names that I think make sense for Georgia Tech, but a coordinator search is going to be far and wide. I did not include any position coaches, but there is a chance that the hire could be out of nowhere and be someone you are not expecting. If Georgia Tech is willing to pay top dollar for a coordinator, then I think anyone on this list could be a possibility.

Stay tuned right here for more updates.