Georgia Tech football coach given new 5-year contract as head coach
Head coach Brent Key of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets leads the team onto the field prior to the Invesco QQQ Gridiron Classic college football game between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on November 28, 2025, at Mercedes-B
ATLANTA - The Georgia Tech Athletic Association Board of Trustees has approved a new five-year contract for head football coach Brent Key, extending his tenure through the 2030 season, the university announced Wednesday.
Georgia Tech President Ángel Cabrera said Key has restored the program’s competitive edge and fan enthusiasm. "Coach Key has brought our storied football program back to where it belongs," Cabrera said, noting three straight winning seasons, bowl appearances and a string of nationally ranked performances. "I am excited about the bright future ahead of us."
Key, a Georgia Tech alumnus, has posted a 27-19 record since taking over as interim head coach in 2022. His resume includes a 7-1 record against nationally ranked ACC opponents and 27 wins in 46 games — a significant turnaround from the 10 wins the program recorded in the 38 games before he took the reins.
Under his leadership, the Yellow Jackets have achieved milestone accomplishments:
- Three straight ACC finishes of fourth, fourth and second place.
- A 9-3 record in 2025, the program’s first nine-win regular season since 2014.
- Twelve consecutive weeks in the national top 25, peaking at No. 7.
- Four all-ACC honorees this season, including quarterback Haynes King, a Heisman Trophy candidate and finalist for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award.
- Placekicker Aidan Birr, a Lou Groza Award finalist, who set a school record with 25 made field goals.
The program has also set academic milestones with three consecutive semesters posting a team GPA above 3.0, the first such stretch in school history.
Georgia Tech says the new contract reflects its continued investment in high-level football, including staff retention, expanded support for student-athletes, and growing NIL opportunities. The school is also preparing to open the Thomas A. Fanning Student-Athlete Performance Center, a state-of-the-art facility designed to advance analytics, training and technology.
Key, the 21st head coach in program history and the fifth Tech alumnus to hold the job, said he is grateful for the continued support. "Our goal is to build a championship program," he said. "We’ve taken steps toward that goal, but we’re not satisfied. Together, we’ll achieve great things. Go Jackets!"
Georgia Tech, which has earned three straight bowl berths for the first time since 2012-14, will learn its postseason destination when bowl assignments are announced Sunday.