So far we are 16 games into the Brent Key era. Where does he stand among Tech coaches at this point in their careers?
We will go all the way back to JOHN HEISMAN to start this overview.
Heisman’s first season saw the Golden Tornado, as we were known back when some of us were young, came to us in nineteen hundred and four. Through sixteen games, he led us to a 13-1-2 record. Some of the highlights included back to back wins over GA by a combined score of 69-6 and a tougher than expected 11-5 win over Camp McPherson, which sounds like a prison where half of you belong. Heisman would go on to coach Tech until his wife exiled him from Atlanta following the 1919 season. He finished 102-29-7 at Tech with a national title. He was famous for saying that it was was better to have died as a small boy than to fumble the football.
Following the legendary Heisman, we had William Alexander take over. Alexander would also win a national title and would coach from 1920-1944. Through his first 16 games, he was 14-2. Notable games included a 10-3 loss at Pittsburgh, where legend has it that a young Nardouche made sure the Golden Tornado had cold showers, but we also had wins over Clemson and Auburn both years. Alexander would finish 134-95-15. He coached teams to the Rose, Orange, Sugar, and Cotton bowls back when those were the only ones.
Alexander would in turn be followed by the legendary Bobby Dodd. If you guys haven’t, you need to read about this guy and watch some old YouTube videos of him. He would coach from 1945-1966, going 165-64-8 and winning a national title. His stretch of dominance in the 1950s was legendary. By that time the Rose Bowl was locked into the Pac12 and Big Ten, but he took us to 11 Gator, Sugar, Orange, and Cotton bowls. Through his first 16 games we were 9-7, including an 0-33 loss to UGA, and many on this board wanted to fire him. By this time, teams were being ranked by national press, and some of his notable wins were at no 12 LSU and at no 19 Duke in 1946.
After Dodd retired, our next coach was Bud Carson, who compiled a 27-27 record from 1967-1971. Through his first 16 games, he was 8-8. Notable from those games was a 23-19 win at Tulane in what is believed to have been Old Man Willie Fritz’s first year as coach there. We did not upset a single ranked team and lost to GA.
After Carson, we had Bill Fulcher, who would coach Tech to a 12-10-1 record from 1972-1973. He resigned because coaching was no longer enjoyable for him, although rumors at the time blamed it on his poor reception on this board. Through his first 16 games, we were 9-6-1. We lost to number one USC here in Atlanta in 1973, and lost to UGA in 1972. We did, however, upset #18 Michigan State in east Lansing in 1972. Unsubstantiated rumors swirled that a local Atlanta telephone operator distracted the Michigan State coach the evening before the game.
Following Fulcher, we had Pepper Rogers, who would lead Tech to a 34-31-2 record from 1974-1979. In his first 16 games, we went 10-6, with a 27-17 upset of #18 Tulane and a 34-14 spankings of the Dwags.
After Pepper, we had Bill Curry, who would compile a 31-43-4 record from 1980-1986. Through his first 16 games, we were 2-13-1, with an improbable 24-21 upset of #2 Alabama and a 3-3 tie with #1 Notre Dame along the way. Curry would lead Tech to just one bowl in his time here.
Bobby Ross succeeded Curry, going 31-26-1 with a national title from 1987-1991. Through his first 16 games he would go just 3-13, but he did not lose to the Citadel.
B*** L**** came next and went 11-19 at Tech from 1992-1994, when he was fired mid season in favor of defensive coordinator George O’Leary. Through his first 16 games, he was 7-9, with wins over #16 Clemson and #21 NCST.
O’Leary would take over after his predecessor lost the locker room, and would lead Tech back to a level of football not seen consistently since the 1960s. George would go 52-33 at Tech from 1994-2001 and lead us back to regular Gator Bowl and similar tier bowls as well as five consecutive top 25 finishes. Through his first 16 games, however, he was just 8-8, with one ranked win over #17 Maryland in 1995.
O’Leary would hand the reins over to Chan Gailey, who would post an 8-8 record in his first 16 games en route to finishing 44-32 with one ACC championship appearance. Notable in his first 16 games was a 51-7 loss to UGA, but an upset of #10 NCST in 2002 and #17 Auburn in 2003. Gailey would only grace one Gator Bowl or similar tier during his time on the Flats.
Tech would drop down to division II according to many on this site… wait… that’s off script. Gailey would be followed by Paul Johnson, who would go 83-61 at Tech from 2008-2018, with Tech’s first outright conference title in decades in 2009. Through his first 16 games he was 11-5, with a win over #13 UGA as well as wins over #16 Florida State and #23 Miami. Johnson would coach in two Orange Bowls, Tech’s first such appearances in decades.
G**** C****** whisked through the door at Tech, his mini mullet hanging on for dear life in the wake of his high speed scooter. Going 10-28 from 2019-2022, C****** would lose to the Citadel en route to a 5-11 record in his first 16 games. Notable during this streak were losses to the NFL east team Temple and combined 104-21 losses to Clemson and UGA in 2019. Not to be outdone, he would manage to lose 73-7 to Clemson the following year, and go on to eventually lose 55-0 to Notre Dame and 45-0 to UGA to close out 2021.
A cry rose up for a man with guts to take Ma Tech in hand. Into that flaming pile of dwag shite strode a man with a plan, and Brent was his name. Yes, Brent was his name. Coach Key is 8-8 into his short tenure at Tech with wins over FOUR RANKED TEAMS.
Y’all I was saying he was Matt Luke after Boston College and I was WRONG. Kelly is right. We need to get off this man for a minute. He’s had the best start at Tech of anyone not named Dodd, Johnson, Alexander, or Heisman and his start could be argued up there with those guys. He has more ranked wins than anyone else at this point and neither of them had the massive pile of shite he inherited.
We will go all the way back to JOHN HEISMAN to start this overview.
Heisman’s first season saw the Golden Tornado, as we were known back when some of us were young, came to us in nineteen hundred and four. Through sixteen games, he led us to a 13-1-2 record. Some of the highlights included back to back wins over GA by a combined score of 69-6 and a tougher than expected 11-5 win over Camp McPherson, which sounds like a prison where half of you belong. Heisman would go on to coach Tech until his wife exiled him from Atlanta following the 1919 season. He finished 102-29-7 at Tech with a national title. He was famous for saying that it was was better to have died as a small boy than to fumble the football.
Following the legendary Heisman, we had William Alexander take over. Alexander would also win a national title and would coach from 1920-1944. Through his first 16 games, he was 14-2. Notable games included a 10-3 loss at Pittsburgh, where legend has it that a young Nardouche made sure the Golden Tornado had cold showers, but we also had wins over Clemson and Auburn both years. Alexander would finish 134-95-15. He coached teams to the Rose, Orange, Sugar, and Cotton bowls back when those were the only ones.
Alexander would in turn be followed by the legendary Bobby Dodd. If you guys haven’t, you need to read about this guy and watch some old YouTube videos of him. He would coach from 1945-1966, going 165-64-8 and winning a national title. His stretch of dominance in the 1950s was legendary. By that time the Rose Bowl was locked into the Pac12 and Big Ten, but he took us to 11 Gator, Sugar, Orange, and Cotton bowls. Through his first 16 games we were 9-7, including an 0-33 loss to UGA, and many on this board wanted to fire him. By this time, teams were being ranked by national press, and some of his notable wins were at no 12 LSU and at no 19 Duke in 1946.
After Dodd retired, our next coach was Bud Carson, who compiled a 27-27 record from 1967-1971. Through his first 16 games, he was 8-8. Notable from those games was a 23-19 win at Tulane in what is believed to have been Old Man Willie Fritz’s first year as coach there. We did not upset a single ranked team and lost to GA.
After Carson, we had Bill Fulcher, who would coach Tech to a 12-10-1 record from 1972-1973. He resigned because coaching was no longer enjoyable for him, although rumors at the time blamed it on his poor reception on this board. Through his first 16 games, we were 9-6-1. We lost to number one USC here in Atlanta in 1973, and lost to UGA in 1972. We did, however, upset #18 Michigan State in east Lansing in 1972. Unsubstantiated rumors swirled that a local Atlanta telephone operator distracted the Michigan State coach the evening before the game.
Following Fulcher, we had Pepper Rogers, who would lead Tech to a 34-31-2 record from 1974-1979. In his first 16 games, we went 10-6, with a 27-17 upset of #18 Tulane and a 34-14 spankings of the Dwags.
After Pepper, we had Bill Curry, who would compile a 31-43-4 record from 1980-1986. Through his first 16 games, we were 2-13-1, with an improbable 24-21 upset of #2 Alabama and a 3-3 tie with #1 Notre Dame along the way. Curry would lead Tech to just one bowl in his time here.
Bobby Ross succeeded Curry, going 31-26-1 with a national title from 1987-1991. Through his first 16 games he would go just 3-13, but he did not lose to the Citadel.
B*** L**** came next and went 11-19 at Tech from 1992-1994, when he was fired mid season in favor of defensive coordinator George O’Leary. Through his first 16 games, he was 7-9, with wins over #16 Clemson and #21 NCST.
O’Leary would take over after his predecessor lost the locker room, and would lead Tech back to a level of football not seen consistently since the 1960s. George would go 52-33 at Tech from 1994-2001 and lead us back to regular Gator Bowl and similar tier bowls as well as five consecutive top 25 finishes. Through his first 16 games, however, he was just 8-8, with one ranked win over #17 Maryland in 1995.
O’Leary would hand the reins over to Chan Gailey, who would post an 8-8 record in his first 16 games en route to finishing 44-32 with one ACC championship appearance. Notable in his first 16 games was a 51-7 loss to UGA, but an upset of #10 NCST in 2002 and #17 Auburn in 2003. Gailey would only grace one Gator Bowl or similar tier during his time on the Flats.
Tech would drop down to division II according to many on this site… wait… that’s off script. Gailey would be followed by Paul Johnson, who would go 83-61 at Tech from 2008-2018, with Tech’s first outright conference title in decades in 2009. Through his first 16 games he was 11-5, with a win over #13 UGA as well as wins over #16 Florida State and #23 Miami. Johnson would coach in two Orange Bowls, Tech’s first such appearances in decades.
G**** C****** whisked through the door at Tech, his mini mullet hanging on for dear life in the wake of his high speed scooter. Going 10-28 from 2019-2022, C****** would lose to the Citadel en route to a 5-11 record in his first 16 games. Notable during this streak were losses to the NFL east team Temple and combined 104-21 losses to Clemson and UGA in 2019. Not to be outdone, he would manage to lose 73-7 to Clemson the following year, and go on to eventually lose 55-0 to Notre Dame and 45-0 to UGA to close out 2021.
A cry rose up for a man with guts to take Ma Tech in hand. Into that flaming pile of dwag shite strode a man with a plan, and Brent was his name. Yes, Brent was his name. Coach Key is 8-8 into his short tenure at Tech with wins over FOUR RANKED TEAMS.
Y’all I was saying he was Matt Luke after Boston College and I was WRONG. Kelly is right. We need to get off this man for a minute. He’s had the best start at Tech of anyone not named Dodd, Johnson, Alexander, or Heisman and his start could be argued up there with those guys. He has more ranked wins than anyone else at this point and neither of them had the massive pile of shite he inherited.
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