ESPN Grades Georgia Tech's Hiring of Brent Key

ESPN Analysts give their analysis of Georgia Tech Promoting Brent Key

Most of the coaching vacancies have been filled at the power five level and when that happens, everyone usually has an opinion and a grade to hand out. 

It has been about a week since Georgia Tech made the decision to promote from within and make Brent Key the head coach. Key had been the coach for the last eight games following the firing of Geoff Collins and led the Yellow Jackets to a 4-4 record, including wins over ranked teams like Pitt and North Carolina. 

What grade does Georgia Tech deserve for hiring Brent Key? / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

The most recent grades given out about the hiring of Key came from ESPN's Adam Rittenberg and Andrea Adelson, who covers the ACC and knows the conference as well as anyone. 

The hiring of Key by Georgia Tech was given a B. 

This is what Adelson had to say about why Key is such a good fit at Georgia Tech:

"If there is anybody who understands what it takes to win at Georgia Tech, it is Key, a four-year starter for the Yellow Jackets from 1997 to 2000. Before he returned to Georgia Tech in 2019 as the run game coordinator/offensive line coach, he was an assistant at Alabama, learning under Nick Saban. That is a pretty good combination. Familiarity with a unique program like Georgia Tech is extremely important."

Here is Rittenberg on the biggest challenge that Key will face as the head coach of Georgia Tech: 

"The interim tag is off and the emotional boost some interim coaches generate will soon fade away. Key is now an ACC head coach and must navigate the inevitable learning curve for a first-timer. He also must rebrand Georgia Tech in his own way and differently from his predecessor Geoff Collins. While Key deserves credit for the success he generated, he also was part of the team's failures the past few seasons. He must learn from those and not spend too much time on branding while not ignoring it, either. Georgia Tech doesn't have the resources that many of its competitors enjoy, and Key must figure out how to distinguish the program both in recruiting and schematically."

As far as expectations go for Key while he is at Georgia Tech, here is what Adelson had to say:

"I am not sure Georgia Tech will be in position to compete for ACC championships without significant investment in resources and facilities during this time period. However, the Yellow Jackets should be competitive in the ACC and an annual bowl team given the talent in the area and the small snippet we have seen from Key as interim coach. What will be interesting to see is how Georgia Tech navigates a new world without divisions. The Yellow Jackets arguably got the toughest permanent opponents in the new scheduling model, having to play Clemson, Louisville and Wake Forest every single year. The non-conference scheduling philosophy has not helped Georgia Tech, either, as the Jackets have continually played one of the toughest overall schedules in the country. Batt would be well-served to rethink this philosophy as Georgia Tech heads into a division-less era in the ACC."

Only time will tell if Key will prove this grade to be correct, whether he will exceed it, or whether he will fall short of expectations. He is still in the midst of putting together his staff and recruiting at both the high school level and in the transfer portal. 

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