New Contracts for Batt, Key Approved

THE FLATS – The Georgia Tech Athletic Association Board of Trustees approved new five-year contracts for director of athletics J Batt and football head coach Brent Key on Friday. The new contracts add two years to both Batt’s and Key’s original agreements, extending them through December 2029.

“J Batt has demonstrated exceptional leadership as Georgia Tech’s athletic director, bringing a strategic vision and enthusiasm that have been instrumental in navigating the evolving landscape of intercollegiate athletics,” said Georgia Tech President Ángel Cabrera. “I am delighted that the Georgia Tech Athletics Association Board supports contract extensions for both J and head football coach Brent Key, ensuring that we continue to build on the prestige they have brought to our athletics program.”

Batt became Georgia Tech’s 10^th full-time athletics director in October 2022. In just 25 months under Batt’s leadership, Tech athletics’ impressive achievements include:

• the highly regarded hires of Georgia Tech alumnus Key as the 21^st head coach in Tech football history and former All-American and NBA All-Star Damon Stoudamire as the Yellow Jackets’ 15^th men’s basketball head coach;
• a record-breaking $78.2 million in contributions to the Alexander-Tharpe Fund (Georgia Tech athletics’ fundraising arm) during Batt’s first full fiscal year at the helm (FY 2024), shattering the previous single-year record by 43%;
• the launch of Full Steam Ahead, a $500 million fundraising initiative – of which nearly $300 million has already been pledged – to enhance infrastructure across multiple athletics facilities (including a renovation of Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field), deliver a best-in-class gameday experience for Yellow Jackets fans and provide the resources needed to navigate the ever-changing landscape of top-level college sports;
• a monumental multi-decade partnership with Hyundai, which provides transformative revenue for Tech athletics;
• historic academic success, with a record 94% NCAA Graduation Success Rate and the highest mean grade point average in Tech athletics history (3.25 – spring 2024).

Georgia Tech has also taken a big step towards re-establishing itself as one of college athletics’ premier programs under Batt, most notably with back-to-back football bowl berths for the first time since 2013-14. Other achievements include consecutive NCAA semifinals appearances for golf, volleyball aiming for its second-straight NCAA Sweet 16 berth on Friday night at Wisconsin and notable men’s basketball victories over nationally ranked opponents Duke, North Carolina and Mississippi State.

Prior to his arrival on The Flats in 2022, Batt served for five years as executive deputy director of athletics, chief operating officer and chief revenue officer at Alabama (2017-22). His administrative experience also includes stints at East Carolina, Maryland, James Madison, William & Mary and his alma mater, North Carolina, where he was also a member of the Tar Heels’ 2001 NCAA champion men’s soccer team and earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communications and a master’s degree in sport administration.

Batt’s new contract also includes a promotion to vice president of the Institute.

“I couldn’t be more proud or appreciative to serve as the athletics director at Georgia Tech,” Batt said. “I thank President Cabrera and the GTAA Board, not only for their trust and support, but for the incredible alignment that allows us to serve our student-athletes, coaches, alumni, students and fans. With the support of the entire Georgia Tech community, we are well on track to attain our goal of competing for championships at the highest level in the next era of college athletics.”

Key is in his second full season as the head coach at his alma mater. He took over as the program’s 21^st head coach on a permanent basis in 2023, after stepping into the role as interim head coach during the 2022 campaign.

The Yellow Jackets are 18-15 in two-plus seasons under Key, including back-to-back winning seasons in 2023 and 2024. The Jackets are an ultra-impressive 6-1 against nationally ranked Atlantic Coast Conference opponents under Key, which includes a pair of top-10 wins this season, highlighted by a 28-23 triumph over No. 4 Miami (Fla.) last month. Key’s 14 victories in his first two full seasons as Tech’s head coach are tied for the third-most in program history, behind only College Football Hall of Famers Paul Johnson (19) and William Alexander (16).

Key has helped return Georgia Tech to the national spotlight, as the Yellow Jackets’ have averaged nearly 3 million television viewers during nationally televised games this season. Additionally, his student-athletes are achieving at a historic level in the classroom, as the football program’s 3.02 team grade point average last semester was an all-time high.

The success on and off the field has helped Key and his staff sign one of the best recruiting classes in Georgia Tech history this week, with the incoming 2025 class ranked in the top-20 nationally and No. 2 in the ACC.

“I’d like to thank the GTAA Board of Trustees, President Cabrera and J Batt for their belief and unrivaled support of our football program,” Key said. “I am so proud and grateful to work with incredible coaches, staff and student-athletes every single day and to represent the Georgia Tech community as its head football coach. Together, we’re building something special and I’m looking forward to continuing to work to return Tech football to where it belongs.”

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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