$11.2 million college football coach signs extension amid departure rumors

As the regular season comes to an end, Georgia Tech sits at 9-3, its best mark in more than a decade.

The Jackets sit inside of the College Football Playoff committee's top 25 and have secured several signature wins this season, including against Colorado, No. 12 Clemson, Wake Forest, and Virginia Tech.

Quarterback Haynes King has spearheaded the offense, throwing for 2,697 yards, 12 touchdowns, and five interceptions, while leading the team with 922 rushing yards and 15 rushing TDs.

The defense, meanwhile, has limited opponents to just 25.0 points per game, including holding the No. 4 Georgia Bulldogs to just 16 points on Saturday.

The architect behind this balanced system has now just locked down a multi-year extension with the program.

Multiple outlets reported Wednesday that head coach Brent Key has agreed to a new five-year contract extension that would keep him at his alma mater through 2030 and comes with a notable raise.

The agreement was described as having been in the works for weeks and pending formal approval by the GTAA Board of Trustees.

Sources: Georgia Tech coach Brent Key has agreed to a new five-year deal at the school that runs through 2030 includes a significant raise in salary. The deal has been in the works for weeks, and is pending formal approval from the GTAA Board of Trustees. pic.twitter.com/OHeqoCzk6e
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) December 3, 2025

A former Georgia Tech guard (1997-2000) who returned to the Flats after stops at UCF and on Nick Saban’s Alabama staff, Key became interim head coach in 2022 and was made permanent the following offseason.

Across his head-coaching tenure at Georgia Tech, he’s compiled a 27-19 overall record, including three consecutive winning seasons and bowl appearances.

As a result, his name has been repeatedly linked to several college football openings in recent weeks, notably at Florida, Penn State, and Auburn.

Georgia Tech securing Key to a long-term deal has now silenced those rumors.

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key. — Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key runs on the field before a game against the Pittsburgh Panthers at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Key’s prior contract called for $4.5 million in 2025, with a buyout of about $11.2 million if Georgia Tech terminated him without cause as of December 1, 2025.

The new extension is expected to raise these figures significantly, reflecting both the culture Key has built in just four years and the university’s commitment to sustaining it.

While Georgia Tech remains outside of any realistic path to the 12-team College Football Playoff, they're bowl-bound and have improved their national profile, thanks largely to Key.

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