Report: Brent Key agrees to long-term contract extension with Georgia Tech, receives pay raise

Georgia Tech and head coach Brent Key have agreed to a new long-term contract, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported. The deal includes an extension and a pay raise.

Key is getting ready for his second bowl game as Georgia Tech’s full-time head coach. He took over as the interim at his alma mater in 2022 following the departure of Geoff Collins and became the full-time coach at the end of that season. During his time at the helm, the Yellow Jackets are 18-15 overall and 14-9 in ACC play.

Key initially arrived at Georgia Tech as offensive line coach and assistant head coach in 2019 following two years under Nick Saban at Alabama. He served as the Crimson Tide’s offensive line coach from 2016-18 after spending 10 years at UCF. With the Knights, he rose from a graduate assistant in 2005 to assistant head coach, offensive line coach and offensive coordinator from 2014-15.

During an appearance on SiriusXM on Friday, Key addressed the importance of having alignment within the athletics department. He said Georgia Tech has that, and it’s part of the key to running a successful operation anywhere in the country.

“It is 100% the most important factor in the success of college athletics right now,” Key said. “There is no question about it. We are very fortunate to be in that position with President [Angel] Cabrera and J Batt, our athletic director, and down to the coaches in the sports and the athletic association.

“To be aligned, that doesn’t necessarily mean you always agree on things. To be aligned, to have the same vision, to have the same expectations, to clearly communicate and define what those expectations are, I don’t think that takes place at a lot of places.”

Georgia Tech went 7-5 in Brent Key’s second full season as head coach and took rival Georgia to eight overtimes in the annual rivalry game a week ago. The Yellow Jackets will now await their bowl fate on Sunday when the assignments come out.