Georgia Tech's Brent Key Among Top-Graded Third Year Coaches

Key had revived the Georgia Tech program during his three seasons as the head coach and improved in each season

Nov 28, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key leads the team on the field before a game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Since taking over as the head coach of his alma mater, Brent Key has helped revive the Georgia Tech program. They have made a bowl game in each of his first three seasons, had one of the best offenses in the country in each season, and finished near the top of the ACC standings. Key would tell you that there is still work to do, but the program is unquestionably in a better spot than it was before he took over as head coach.

In a recent grade of third year head coach, Key received an "A" from CBS analyst Chip Patterson. Other third year coaches who received an "A" were Arizona State's Kenny Dillingham, Navy's Brian Newberry, and Louisville's Jeff Brohm:

"The former Georgia Tech offensive lineman offered to be cut open to see what colors he bled, and Key's passion for his alma mater only enhances his on-field success. The Yellow Jackets have been bowl eligible in every full season that he's been a head coach, peaking with a nine-win campaign in 2025. He's also done a great job re-establishing Georgia Tech as one of the most consistent programs in the ACC, going 20-11 against conference opponents and logging signature wins against the likes of Clemson, Miami and more."

Continuing to Improve

Dec 27, 2025; Orlando, FL, USA; BYU Cougars head coach Kalani Sitake (left) speaks to Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key before the Pop-Tarts Bowl at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Key has led his alma mater to a 27-19 record in three-plus seasons at the helm, which includes eight games as interim head coach in 2022 before being named Georgia Tech’s permanent head coach prior to the 2023 season. His 27-19 mark includes a gaudy 7-1 mark against nationally ranked Atlantic Coast Conference opponents, and the 27 victories in 46 games comes on the heels of Tech winning just 10-of-38 games prior to him taking the reins in 2022.

In Key’s three seasons as permanent head coach:

The Yellow Jackets have won 23 games, which are tied for the second-most wins ever by a Georgia Tech head coach in his first three full seasons at the helm. The only other head coaches who have won as many as 23 games in their first three full seasons at Tech – Paul Johnson (27 – 2009-11), Bobby Dodd (23 – 1945-47), and William Alexander (23 – 1920-22) – are all enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame.

Tech has earned fourth- (2023), fourth- (2024) and second-place (2025) finishes in the ACC, making the Yellow Jackets the only team that has finished fourth or better in the ACC each of the last three seasons. The Jackets have exceeded expectations each season, as they were picked to finish 12th, 10th and fourth in each respective season’s preseason conference poll.

After being nationally ranked for a total of just one week from 2016-24, the Jackets have been in the top 25 for 12-consecutive weeks this season, reaching as high as No. 7 following an 8-0 start. The Yellow Jackets have also been in each of the first five College Football Playoff rankings of the season for the first time in the CFP’s 12-year history.

Individually, four Yellow Jackets – QB Haynes King, OG Keylan Rutledge, DT Jordan van den Berg and PK Aidan Birr – are all-ACC honorees this season, which is Tech’s most first-team selections since 2009. King, who is No. 3 nationally in total offense, is a finalist for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award (nation’s top upperclassman quarterback) and a candidate for the Heisman Trophy, while Birr, who set a Georgia Tech single-season record and leads the nation with 25 made field goals, is one of three finalists for the Lou Groza Award (college football’s top place kicker).

Off the field, the Yellow Jackets have also excelled in the classroom under Key’s watch. For the first time in its history, Tech football has recorded three-straight semesters with a team grade point average of 3.0 or higher – 3.02 in spring 2024, 3.00 in fall 2024 (the program’s first-ever fall semester with a 3.0 GPA) and a program-record 3.03 in spring 2025.