Who is Brent Key? Get to know the Georgia Tech head coach that knocked off Clemson and could become a hot commodity

Georgia Tech football has started the 2025 season red-hot, highlighted by a win over ACC favorite No. 12 Clemson. The Yellow Jackets opened the year with a road victory against Deion Sanders and Colorado, then followed it up Saturday with a last-second field goal to beat Clemson 24-21.

MORE: Georgia Tech knocks off Clemson 24-21 with 55-yard game-winning FG

Georgia Tech continues to make noise against ranked opponents. In 2024, the Yellow Jackets knocked off No. 4 Miami and No. 10 Florida State, and even pushed No. 8 Georgia to eight overtimes in Athens. Now, with a huge win over Clemson, they’re 3-0 and eyeing both an ACC title run and a potential College Football Playoff berth.

As Georgia Tech rises on the national stage, head coach Brent Key has emerged as one of the sport’s names to watch. He’s already delivered several statement victories during his tenure.

Here’s what you need to know about Key as the Yellow Jackets remain one of the biggest storylines in college football.

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Who is Brent Key?

Key is in his fourth season as Georgia Tech’s head coach. He first took over on an interim basis in 2022 after Geoff Collins was fired, and after pulling off wins over No. 24 Pittsburgh and No. 13 North Carolina, the interim tag was quickly removed.

Since taking the reins, Key has guided the Yellow Jackets to two winning seasons — their first since 2018 — three top-10 victories, and back-to-back bowl appearances for the first time since 2013-14.

In 2024, Key and Georgia Tech burst onto the national scene by opening the year with a stunning upset of No. 10 Florida State. The Jackets also handed No. 4 Miami and quarterback Cam Ward their first loss of the season, and nearly toppled Georgia in Athens before the Bulldogs escaped in an eight-overtime thriller — their closest home call since 2019.

Key, a former right guard at Georgia Tech, played for the program from 1997 to 2000.

Which programs might try to hire Brent Key?

With Key becoming a rising star in the college football world, some of the top programs might try to lure him away from Atlanta.

There are college football powerhouses with question marks at the coaching position — Kalen DeBoer at Alabama, Luke Fickell at Wisconsin, Billy Napier at Florida and Mike Gundy at Oklahoma State have are a few to monitor — and Key could be a fit for those jobs.

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It remains unclear on whether Key would leave Georgia Tech for any of those jobs, but if he continues his success, he will surely be a target for these major schools.

Brent Key coaching career

As a Georgia Tech alum, Key has built a career as a coach and recruiter, a path that has taken him from his alma mater to Alabama and back again. He started as a graduate assistant at Georgia Tech from 2001 to 2002, before becoming the running backs coach at Western Carolina in 2004.

After that, Key had a successful 11-year run as an assistant at Central Florida (UCF), where he worked his way up from a graduate assistant to assistant head coach and offensive coordinator. While at UCF, he was part of four conference championship teams and was nominated for the Broyles Award, given to the nation's top assistant coach. He then joined Nick Saban's staff at Alabama as the offensive line coach, where he was part of a national championship team in 2017 and was recognized as a top recruiter.

In 2022, Key returned to Georgia Tech as interim head coach following the dismissal of Geoff Collins. He guided the Yellow Jackets to a 4-4 finish, highlighted by upset wins over ranked opponents, which earned him the permanent job as the program’s 21st head coach.

Since then, Key has steadily rebuilt the program. After the win over Clemson, his career record sits at 21-16, including his interim stint. He delivered back-to-back 7-6 campaigns in 2023 and 2024 — the program’s first consecutive winning seasons since 2013-14.

Key has also made his mark on the recruiting trail, signing a top-20 class in 2024. Against ACC ranked opponents, he boasts an impressive 7-1 record, and in 2025, the Yellow Jackets are off to a 3-0 start.

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Georgia Tech remaining schedule

The Yellow Jackets look like a true ACC contender as it heads into conference play. Georgia Tech does not face a ranked opponent in the conference, but it welcomes in No. 6 Georgia in the season finale.