Official: Brent Key is Georgia Tech Football's Head Coach

[AUFC]

Key may not have been my first pick, but dam do I love to hear him speak. I think he could convince me to try and run through a brick wall if he tried.

I actually don't think Key has the hype man gene at all. Some coaches will turn the basketball game welcome speech into a show.

And after TFG, I am 100% okay with that.

 

[forensicbuzz]

CB was getting a decent amount of playing time, he was in 9 games and started 2 in 2020, and played in 7 in 2019. I looked it up - he left because he was homesick, he's from the Virginia area.

Like I said, he was the first to come to mind. I think he got some decent time until he was injured; maybe not the best example. How about Jamious Griffin?

 

[majorQ9]

The speech at halftime was alright. One gripe, if you're going to do the What's the good word chant, you gotta finish it with how bout dem dawgs?

 

[RonJohn]

I understand. Just wish he'd specifically said it that way. Good news is, that's the worst that I was able to nitpick out of that press conference.

If you want to read everything he said as a knock to TFG, you could take this as: Plan and work as hard as you can, starting at Winter workouts, through Spring camp, through Summer camp, and all through the season. Instead of lollygagging around until you lose, and then scrambling for some way to pull wins out of your butt.

 

[leatherneckjacket]

I actually don't think Key has the hype man gene at all. Some coaches will turn the basketball game welcome speech into a show.

And after TFG, I am 100% okay with that.

Yes, no hype, which is why it would work with me. Simple, authentic, and intensely focused on both effort and results. I love it.

 

[forensicbuzz]

If you want to read everything he said as a knock to TFG, you could take this as: Plan and work as hard as you can, starting at Winter workouts, through Spring camp, through Summer camp, and all through the season. Instead of lollygagging around until you lose, and then scrambling for some way to pull wins out of your butt.

That's the same thing Deion said to the Colorado team. He just couched it as "he's coming!"

 

[TooTall]

 

[ThatGuy]

Now that Key has been officially hired, it marks a turning point in my GT fandom. I had hoped that we were committing to the program going forward with the firing of Collins and TStan. I also had high hopes that JBatt would make a solid hire. That couldn't have been more wrong. Watching us strike out on multiple good to mediocre coaches and have to settle on our fall back option was sad. Watching other programs make great hires and build excitement makes me even more sad. That could have been us. We could have had something to look forward to but apparently we can't afford it. It's unfortunate but sometimes life takes you a different direction. I don't think I can support the program much going forward. Here's hoping basketball can turn things around.

I had set a reminder to come back to this post (and other similar posts) 1 year later. And here it is. We've arrived.

1 year ago today, Coach Brent Key had the interim title removed.

I'm glad that those of us who were cautiously optimistic - and apparently the greater college football world at large - recognize the results we've seen.

 

[RamblinRed]

FWIW, I would give Key a Solid B for this season.
I think he did a good overall job. Nothing outstanding, but he appears to be very intentional on building a program and a culture. Happy to give him the time to see how it works out.
I was sort of expecting between 5-7 and 7-5, so he was right where I expected him to be.

Offense was remarkably better. The defense was noticeably worse and special teams were sort of a wash.
We definitely looked like a better team this season, though there are obvious areas for improvement.
We flat out need to increase the talent level in the defensive front 7. We also need to get better at in-game coaching adjustments on both sides of the ball. GT was consistently outplayed in the 3rd quarter in most games this season.

The Miami gift (that basically allowed us to get to bowl eligibility) helps makes this season feel better than it likely would have otherwise.

 

[stinger78]

FWIW, I would give Key a Solid B for this season.
I think he did a good overall job. Nothing outstanding, but he appears to be very intentional on building a program and a culture. Happy to give him the time to see how it works out.
I was sort of expecting between 5-7 and 7-5, so he was right where I expected him to be.

Offense was remarkably better. The defense was noticeably worse and special teams were sort of a wash.
We definitely looked like a better team this season, though there are obvious areas for improvement.
We flat out need to increase the talent level in the defensive front 7. We also need to get better at in-game coaching adjustments on both sides of the ball. GT was consistently outplayed in the 3rd quarter in most games this season.

The Miami gift (that basically allowed us to get to bowl eligibility) helps makes this season feel better than it likely would have otherwise.

I think we need to place an asterisk by the term “Miami gift.” They gave us an opportunity, that is all. We had to strip the ball and then we had to go 74 yards in 26 seconds for the TD. That was all more about us than them, yet it gets talked about as if we were given the winning TD and it had nothing to do with us. Such is not the case.

 

[Northeast Stinger]

I think we need to place an asterisk by the term “Miami gift.” They gave us an opportunity, that is all. We had to strip the ball and then we had to go 74 yards in 26 seconds for the TD. That was all more about us than them, yet it gets talked about as if we were given the winning TD and it had nothing to do with us. Such is not the case.

It’s strange that every year top teams in the country get “gifts” of one kind or another and no one completely discounts their seasons as a result. I could name several national champions that would not be champions if such “gifts” were held against them.

 

[bke1984]

The Miami gift (that basically allowed us to get to bowl eligibility) helps makes this season feel better than it likely would have otherwise.

True, but these games can’t be viewed in a vacuum like that. Maybe if we lose to Miami we beat BC? Maybe if we beat Louisville we lose to Wake? The attitude from one week to the next was all over the place this year

 

[stinger78]

It’s strange that every year top teams in the country get “gifts” of one kind or another and no one completely discounts their seasons as a result. I could name several national champions that would not be champions if such “gifts” were held against them.

Like a 5th down?

 

[Northeast Stinger]

Like a 5th down?

Bingo. And others.

 

[Root4GT]

I think we need to place an asterisk by the term “Miami gift.” They gave us an opportunity, that is all. We had to strip the ball and then we had to go 74 yards in 26 seconds for the TD. That was all more about us than them, yet it gets talked about as if we were given the winning TD and it had nothing to do with us. Such is not the case.

That we scored in 26 seconds was remarkable and two great plays by GT.

99% of coaches would have won the game against us and we never would have gotten the opportunity to win. That was the gift most refer to.

And yes still had to score from our 25 in 26 seconds.

 

[stinger78]

That we scored in 26 seconds was remarkable and two great plays by GT.

99% of coaches would have won the game against us and we never would have gotten the opportunity to win. That was the gift most refer to.

And yes still had to score from our 25 in 26 seconds.

Yes, so the win resulted from the gift, but was not realized by the gift. It was the opportunity only, and those things happen all the time. Let’s not minimize the work GT did to win the game.

 

[whitegoldsphinx]

Bingo. And others.

Or Ohio State missing a last second field goal against UGA in last year's semi-final that would have stopped UGA's Championship run. The media perception today is that the dwags are some unstoppable juggernaut. Not so if that kick had split the uprights.

 

[stinger78]

Or Ohio State missing a last second field goal against UGA in last year's semi-final that would have stopped UGA's Championship run. The media perception today is that the dwags are some unstoppable juggernaut. Not so if that kick had split the uprights.

Or if they hadn't thugged Harrison out of the game... "legally."

 

[roadkill]

Yes, so the win resulted from the gift, but was not realized by the gift. It was the opportunity only, and those things happen all the time. Let’s not minimize the work GT did to win the game.

Specifically, an opposing coach's poor decision gave us an opportunity to cause a fumble - and there was certainly no guarantee of it. We seized that opportunity and then had another opportunity to win with 22 seconds left. We seized that opportunity as well, in heroic fashion. Too many folks are focusing on the coach's bad decision, which it was, as if he gave us the game. GT as a team had to accomplish some amazing things to capitalize on the opportunity to win.

 

[Root4GT]

Yes, so the win resulted from the gift, but was not realized by the gift. It was the opportunity only, and those things happen all the time. Let’s not minimize the work GT did to win the game.

Agree, the odds of us scoring were very very low. The pass to Rutherford was incredible. That King escaped the pocket and Leary got behind all the defenders was beyond incredible.