Georgia Tech HC Brent Key talks during ACC media day

Georgia Tech HC Brent Key talks during ACC media day originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets open the 2025 season on Friday, Aug. 29 with a highly anticipated matchup at Colorado (8 p.m. ET – ESPN), against Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes.

Georgia Tech has posted consecutive winning seasons for the first time in a decade and return five all-ACC standouts from last season’s squad. Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key took questions during ACC Media Day, and he is already in mid-season form.

Q.What were some of the factors that led to the Georgia game being played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium this year instead of at The Flats?

BRENT KEY: Those are way above my pay grade. I couldn't care less. We could go play in Piedmont Park. I couldn't give a crap where we play.

Q.How much do you think the on-field performance of your team has impacted the ability to attract Georgia's top talent and keeping them in state?

BRENT KEY: Yeah, that's something we set out in the very beginning is to recruit the best players for Georgia Tech. All that starts in Atlanta, and then in the state of Georgia, and then it works out to Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, and through Louisiana, and maybe every now and then we'll find somebody from a little small town in East Texas, Longview.

Q.Haynes King, just what you've seen from him, be it injuries, going back out on to the field, being relentless, willing to play through something. What his leadership has shown you, not just in word but also in deed?

BRENT KEY: I don't have enough time to talk about what he's done for the football team, how he plays the game. I can tell you one story that probably just encompasses everything about Haynes King. Two seasons ago we were playing in a bowl game and it was towards the end of the game, and I don't know if many people know this, but we were playing against UCF in the bowl. Haynes had an opportunity in that football game to break four all-time single-season passing records at Georgia Tech. Like close. And at the end of the game we ran the ball 27 straight times, and he was saying, run it again, run it again. He was telling Buster, run it again, run it again, because he knew that was the way to break their will. When you've got a guy like that that puts the team above himself and is willing to lay it on the line for his teammates, everybody else is going to run through a wall for him.

Q.Quick question about opening games, and I know forever you're getting ready for teams that have a different look from the previous year, but nowadays it's even more pronounced with the changes. But specifics about Colorado, different quarterback and a lot of different faces, but the quarterback -- new quarterback had played at Liberty before. When you're getting ready for this game, are you going to watch some Liberty? Are you going to be watching what Colorado did to get prepared for the opener in Boulder?

BRENT KEY: I'm probably the worst person to ask that because I watch a lot of film. I've watched their last two years' seasons, every offense, defense, special teams, every game the last two years. I think I've watched them twice now. Their transfer players, probably about three quarters of the way through watching the film of where they've come from, regardless of who may or may not be a starter, if they have an opportunity to be, and you piece it together. But when you go into a first game, you're only as good as your base offense, defense and kicking game. It's about a game of adjustments by coaches, but you're as good as your base fundamentals.

Q.Last year at Florida State, you guys put the ACC on notice by upsetting them and you've got Boulder coming up this away opener for you guys. Deion Sanders, we know what kind of spotlight he brings being in Boulder the last two years and the Deion effect. How are you going to prepare your guys mentally being under that type of microscope on a national level?

BRENT KEY: Yeah, we've played a lot of games on the national level in the last two years and on the national stage, and that's what we want to do. We want to play games that are on the national stage. We want to play games that the public has a chance to see our brand of football and who we are as a team, and that's what we're going to continue to look to do when we play those games.

We're excited to go play Colorado. It's an opportunity to settle the 1990 National Championship. Look, to be honest, Deion was one of my heroes growing up as a kid. I played baseball and football. It was Deion and Bo Jackson. Pretty cool thing.

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Q.Buster Faulkner, the news came out he was extended this morning. What has he meant to this program and what does it mean that he's going to be around The Flats for the foreseeable future?

BRENT KEY: Yeah, first off, Buster is not only an extremely respected football coach, but he's a very dear friend. Him and his family, they're very close. I entrust him with the offense. I entrust him with putting a plan together. We converse a lot and talk a lot. He's one of the closest confidants I have on the entire staff with a lot of things. But at the end of the day, I trust Buster Faulkner.

Look, what transpired with that, that just is another sign that shows the commitment that starts with Dr. Cabrera, with his commitment to Georgia Tech athletics and his commitment to Georgia Tech football, and giving us the resources to compete with anybody out there, anybody in the country.

I can't thank him enough for allowing those things to continue to happen. But at the same time, it's no different than I talk to the players about all the time. There's one thing to walk in somebody's office and ask them for an increase in NIL or go out and earn it, and we're very transparent when it comes to these things. I want people to earn what they get, earn what they go out and receive, not just have it given to them. We talk about that.

To have a coach mimic that same thing, there's not anybody up here that's going to disagree. He's the best play caller in the country. Talk about getting the ball in the hands of different guys, and we've got a lot of really good skill players on offense this year. Everybody talks about running the football, by the way. We're throwing the ball 70 to 75 times a game this year, at minimum (laughter).

But I'm excited for him, excited for the opportunity, but more excited for these players to be able to have continuity on the staff. Continuity on your team, retention of your team, your roster, continuity on your coaching staff. That shows stability of a program.

Related: Georgia Tech to Hire Ryan Alpert as Next Athletic Director: Report

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 23, 2025, where it first appeared.