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Brent Key
	Key in 2019
Current position
Title	Head coach
Team	Georgia Tech
Conference	ACC
Record	18–15
Annual salary	$2,800,000
Biographical details
Born	August 1, 1978 (age 46); Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.
Playing career
1997–2000	Georgia Tech
Position(s)	Right guard
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
2001–2002	Georgia Tech (GA)
2004	Western Carolina (RB/TE)
2005	UCF (GA)
2006–2007	UCF (TE/RC)
2008	UCF (ST/TE/RC)
2009–2011	UCF (OL/RC)
2012–2013	UCF (AHC/OL/RC)
2014–2015	UCF (AHC/OC/OL/RC)
2016–2018	Alabama (OL)
2019–2022	Georgia Tech (AHC/OL/RGC)
2022	Georgia Tech (interim HC)
2023–present	Georgia Tech
Head coaching record
Overall	18–15
Bowls	1–0
Accomplishments and honors
Awards
	First-team All-ACC (2000); As an assistant coach CFP national champion (2017);

Donald Brent Key (born August 1, 1978) is an American college football coach and former player. Key is the head football coach at his alma mater, Georgia Tech as of November 2022.^[2]

Playing career

Key grew up in Trussville, Alabama, a suburb of Birmingham, Alabama. He attended and played football at Hewitt-Trussville High School.^[3] Key played guard at Georgia Tech under coach George O'Leary, starting all four years.^[4] During his four-year playing career, Georgia Tech would go on to four straight bowl appearances, finish the season in the AP poll top-25 four times, beat rival Georgia three straight times, and rank No. 1 nationally in total offense in 1998. He was voted team captain and all-ACC as a senior in 2000.

Coaching career

Early career

Key served as a graduate assistant under George O'Leary at Georgia Tech during the 2001 season. He would later join O'Leary at UCF.^[5] Key also served as tight ends and running backs coach at Western Carolina in 2004.

UCF

Key was hired in 2004 as a graduate assistant for UCF in 2005. At various points during his tenure with UCF, Key was the offensive coordinator, assistant head coach, offensive line coach, special teams coach, tight ends coach, and recruiting coordinator for the UCF Knights.^[6] After the 2012 season, Key was promoted to assistant head coach and then to offensive coordinator following the 2013 season. While as an assistant at the University of Central Florida (UCF), Key was selected to be the heir apparent to George O'Leary following his retirement.^[7] Following the 2013 season in which UCF won the Fiesta Bowl, Key reportedly declined the head coaching job at UAB to remain with the Knights.^[8] Key left UCF following their 0-12 2015 season, which would be O'Leary's last with the team. In 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2020 Key was nominated for the Broyles Award, given for the top assistant in college football.

Alabama

On February 15, 2016, Key was hired as the offensive line coach at the University of Alabama, replacing Mario Cristobal. Cristobal remained on staff as tight ends coach.^[9] Cam Robinson, Ross Pierschbacher, and Jonah Williams are a few of Key’s linemen who would go on to be named All-Americans during his tenure at Bama. Alabama would go on to win one national championship (2017) and two SEC championships (2016, 2018). Widely regarded as one of the top offensive line coaches in college football, Key’s lines have been a finalist for the Joe Moore Award, presented annually to the top offensive line in the nation, three times in his career.

Georgia Tech

Key left Alabama for his alma mater Georgia Tech in 2019, serving as assistant head coach and offensive line coach under newly hired head coach Geoff Collins. Following a 10-22 tenure, Collins was fired in 2022 and Key was named interim head coach. He went 4–4 as interim head coach, with notable wins over #24 Pittsburgh and #13 North Carolina. Because of the team’s improvement during his tenure, the interim tag was taken off on November 29 as Key was named Georgia Tech’s 21st head football coach.^[10]

In 2023, Key led Georgia Tech to a 7-6 record, resulting in its first bowl game and winning season since 2018. This season was notable for a homecoming upset of #17 North Carolina and a last second victory over #17 Miami, in which Georgia Tech scored a touchdown with 2 seconds left in the game following former colleague Mario Cristobal's decision to not take a knee in the final 40 seconds of the 4th quarter.

Key began the 2024 season in Dublin, Ireland with an upset victory over the #10 Florida State Seminoles. Key and the Yellow Jackets started the season 2-0 for the first time since the 2016 season. After struggling with numerous injuries including quarterback Haynes King, running back Jamal Haynes, and linebacker Kyle Efford, the Jackets would later upset previously-undefeated #4 Miami at Bobby Dodd Stadium at homecoming. The win was their sixth of the season; Georgia Tech became bowl eligible for two consecutive seasons for the first time since 2013-2014.

Personal life

Brent Key earned his degree in management from Georgia Tech in 2001. During his time at UCF, he met his wife, Danielle Key, who worked on the marketing team for the university's athletic department. Together, they have a daughter named Harper.^[11]

Head coaching record


Year	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Bowl/playoffs
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (Atlantic Coast Conference) (2022–present)
2022	Georgia Tech	4–4^[a]	4–3	4th (Coastal)
2023	Georgia Tech	7–6	5–3	T–4th	W Gasparilla
2024	Georgia Tech	7–5	5–3	T–4th	Birmingham
Georgia Tech:		18–15	14–9
Total:		18–15