Georgia Tech locked up Brent Key with a five-year contract extension through the 2030 season. The Yellow Jackets announced the deal Wednesday to prevent Key from becoming a coaching candidate elsewhere.
Key has posted a .587 winning percentage over 27-19 with Georgia Tech. The extension follows three straight nine-win seasons that have made the Yellow Jackets an ACC contender.
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.”
The move eliminates speculation about Key and any remaining open head coaching vacancies.
Less than 24 hours after reports suggested Penn State had interest in Kalani Sitake, BYU extended their coach. Georgia Tech wanted to do something similar by taking Key off the board.
Record of consistency in ACC play
Key has delivered some of the most consistent results in recent Yellow Jackets memory. Georgia Tech is 7-1 against nationally ranked ACC opponents under his leadership.
The Yellow Jackets have finished fourth or higher in the ACC each of the last three seasons. They’re the only ACC team to accomplish that over the same stretch.
Georgia Tech highlighted Key’s achievements in their extension announcement.
“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.”
Georgia Tech earned fourth place finishes in 2023 and 2024, then second place in 2025.
The Yellow Jackets have exceeded expectations each season. They were picked to finish 12th, 10th and fourth in preseason conference polls.
“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.”
Key spent time at Western Carolina, Central Florida and Alabama before returning to his alma mater.
He came back to Georgia Tech in 2019 as assistant head coach and offensive line coach. Key served as interim head coach in 2022 before being named to the permanent role in 2023.
Georgia Tech hasn’t released contract details yet. The Yellow Jackets currently sit at No. 22 in the AP poll.
Tech faces long odds to make the playoff outside the ACC championship game. But locking up Key allows them to build on their recent success and continue their upward trajectory.
