THE FLATS – Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key has been selected as the Bear Bryant Awards Coach of the Week following Tech’s 28-23 win over No. 4-ranked and previously unbeaten Miami (Fla.).
The honor is Key’s second national coach of the week award this week, after being named the Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week on Monday. The recognitions have special meaning for the Yellow Jackets’ head coach, as they are named in honor of perhaps the most influential football figures in the history of his alma mater, Georgia Tech (Bobby Dodd), and his native Alabama (Paul “Bear” Bryant).
Key’s Yellow Jackets overcame injuries to numerous key players to pick up their first victory over a top-five opponent in 15 years, dating back to a 28-23 win over No. 4 Virginia Tech in 2009. Tech also moved to 6-1 against nationally ranked Atlantic Coast Conference opponents and 12-2 in games that have immediately followed a defeat under Key, who took over as interim head coach for the final eight games of the 2022 season before being named the permanent head coach following the conclusion of the campaign.
With the victory, Key has led Georgia Tech to 13 wins in his two full seasons as head coach (2023-present), which is the same number of wins that Dodd had in his first two seasons as the head coach at Tech (1945-46). Only four coaches have ever won more games in their first two full seasons at the helm of the Yellow Jackets, and three of them, like Dodd, are in the College Football Hall of Fame – Hall of Famers Paul Johnson – 19 (2008-09), William Alexander – 16 (1920-21) and John Heisman – 14 (1904-05), as well as Chan Gailey – 14 (2002-03).
Georgia Tech (6-4, 4-3 ACC), which is 4-0 at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field this season, closes the home portion of its schedule on Thursday, Nov. 21 when it hosts NC State for a nationally televised ACC duel. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. and the game will be shown nationally on ESPN. Tickets are still available and can be purchased online by clicking HERE.
Full Steam Ahead
Full Steam Ahead is a $500 million fundraising initiative to achieve Georgia Tech athletics’ goal of competing for championships at the highest level in the next era of intercollegiate athletics. The initiative will fund transformative projects for Tech athletics, including renovations of Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field (the historic home of Georgia Tech football), the Zelnak Basketball Center (the practice and training facility for Tech basketball) and O’Keefe Gymnasium (the venerable home of Yellow Jackets volleyball), as well as additional projects and initiatives to further advance Georgia Tech athletics through program wide-operational support. All members of the Georgia Tech community are invited to visit atfund.org/FullSteamAhead for full details and renderings of the renovation projects, as well as to learn about opportunities to contribute online.
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