Georgia Tech ensured Brent Key will not be seen as a possible coaching candidate elsewhere. On Wednesday, the Yellow Jackets signed Key to a five-year extension that will keep him in midtown Atlanta through the 2030 season.
Key has a.587 winning percentage going 27-19 with the Yellow Jackets. This extension comes on the heels of three consecutive nine-win seasons. Georgia Tech has become an ACC contender under Key. According to ESPN, the extension includes a significant raise, additional funding for support positions and a financial investment in the football program.
"There is no other place or opportunity out there like Georgia Tech," Key said in a statement. "Our goal is to build a championship program. I'm proud of the steps that we've taken towards reaching that goal, but I'm not satisfied. Building a championship program is not possible without everyone being aligned."
This move closes the door on any potential speculation regarding Key and any remaining open head coaching vacancies. Less than 24-hours removed from reports suggesting Penn State had interest in Kalani Sitake, BYU extended Sitake. Georgia Tech sought to do something similar. Take Coach Key off the board for potential jobs elsewhere.
Key has provided consistency and conference success
Under Key, Georgia Tech has enjoyed some of the most consistent play in recent Yellow Jacket memory. 7-1 against nationally ranked ACC opponents as well as a fourth place finish or higher each of the last three seasons. The only ACC team to accomplish that over the same stretch of years. Georgia Tech provided some of those achievements in their Key extension statement.
"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 that 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."
"Coach Key has brought our storied football program back to where it belongs," Georgia Tech President Ángel Cabrera said in a statement. "He has delivered three-straight winning seasons and bowl appearances, reinvigorated the passion of our fan base and given us moments we will not easily forget."
Before landing with his Alma Mater in Georgia Tech, Key spent time at Western Carolina, Central Florida and Alabama. Key returned to Georgia Tech in 2019 as an assistant head coach and offensive line coach before being named the full-time head coach in 2023 after a stint as the interim in 2022.
Georgia Tech has not as of yet release the details of the deal. Georgia Tech is currently the No. 22 team in the AP top 25. Outside the ACC championship game, Tech is a longshot to make the playoff. However, locking up Key is an important decision that allows them to build on their recent success.
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