BIRMINGHAM, Ala.- Georgia Tech football coach Brent Key met with the media on Thursday in the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame along with Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea ahead of the 2024 Birmingham Bowl.
"I've said bowl games are about matchups and getting matchups that are the most entertaining for the fans and most competitive for the teams," Key said. "A lot of teams are already looking forward to next season, but our mentality is this is a chance to get extra practices in and to be able to prepare for a game and for next season, but the main thing is to send the seniors out with a win and compete for one more time as this version of the 2024 Georgia Tech football team."
Having both Key and Lea as alums of their respective programs adds more to the game as well in Key's view.
"To get the matchup that they have with Vanderbilt and us, two head coaches that are both alums that played at their respective schools and it being a storybook kind of season for Vanderbilt and two schools from an academic standpoint that are so highly regarded worldwide makes this a great game," Key said.
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Key said he has people on his staff dealing with all the ticket requests from people back home.
Key said that he isn't a believer in momentum and they've had 3-4 weeks off now and they are busy practicing and will practice tomorrow. The team believes in each other and they have fun playing the game and the staff have done a great job this year of preparing the whole team. They are excited about the opportunity to play Vandy.
Key was asked about Belichick getting the UNC job, he said he didn't know about it until 7 pm last night and they aren't on the schedule so he doesn't really have an opinion one way or another.
Key said that he has been filtering all the portal stuff through the staff and then mainly focusing his energy on the guys actually visiting. He said they are watching 100-200 kids down stairs and then it filters down to maybe 50 and then the assistants bring a couple of those to him. He said it comes in waves though.
Key was watching portal film in the car (they drove over) and will watch it going back on kids.
Key said he is pleased that the ticket sales have been good for the game and he hopes GT fans show up to send out the senior class on the right note.
They've been working with the younger kids this week in practice and Key said they have development periods for one hour on Thursdays for those kids but they are going to do a little scrimmage tomorrow with them.
Key said that he is working hard to keep his staff together and he has had those conversations about keeping the group together and he joked he hopes they are busy recruiting and not talking to people about other jobs.
I asked if he thinks he thinks they'll hold onto everyone who hasn't gone in the portal and he said that the players that are here will play and the players that aren't won't.
Key said that there are so many external factors at play with the kids and the media and social media these days and when they leave he isn't looking in the past or worrying about anything, he is focused on building the best roster he can for a championship next year.
I asked him if it is special both his bowl games have been connected to his past playing UCF last year and then coaching back home in Birmingham this year, he said it seems like the UCF game was 10 years ago right now, but he said it is pretty cool and he is running out of things he is connected to, Chad interjected he could play Alabama next year in the playoffs and Key decided not to crack a joke about that.
Key was in a good mood and we pretty happy.
"I've said bowl games are about matchups and getting matchups that are the most entertaining for the fans and most competitive for the teams," Key said. "A lot of teams are already looking forward to next season, but our mentality is this is a chance to get extra practices in and to be able to prepare for a game and for next season, but the main thing is to send the seniors out with a win and compete for one more time as this version of the 2024 Georgia Tech football team."
Having both Key and Lea as alums of their respective programs adds more to the game as well in Key's view.
"To get the matchup that they have with Vanderbilt and us, two head coaches that are both alums that played at their respective schools and it being a storybook kind of season for Vanderbilt and two schools from an academic standpoint that are so highly regarded worldwide makes this a great game," Key said.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Key said he has people on his staff dealing with all the ticket requests from people back home.
Key said that he isn't a believer in momentum and they've had 3-4 weeks off now and they are busy practicing and will practice tomorrow. The team believes in each other and they have fun playing the game and the staff have done a great job this year of preparing the whole team. They are excited about the opportunity to play Vandy.
Key was asked about Belichick getting the UNC job, he said he didn't know about it until 7 pm last night and they aren't on the schedule so he doesn't really have an opinion one way or another.
Key said that he has been filtering all the portal stuff through the staff and then mainly focusing his energy on the guys actually visiting. He said they are watching 100-200 kids down stairs and then it filters down to maybe 50 and then the assistants bring a couple of those to him. He said it comes in waves though.
Key was watching portal film in the car (they drove over) and will watch it going back on kids.
Key said he is pleased that the ticket sales have been good for the game and he hopes GT fans show up to send out the senior class on the right note.
They've been working with the younger kids this week in practice and Key said they have development periods for one hour on Thursdays for those kids but they are going to do a little scrimmage tomorrow with them.
Key said that he is working hard to keep his staff together and he has had those conversations about keeping the group together and he joked he hopes they are busy recruiting and not talking to people about other jobs.
I asked if he thinks he thinks they'll hold onto everyone who hasn't gone in the portal and he said that the players that are here will play and the players that aren't won't.
Key said that there are so many external factors at play with the kids and the media and social media these days and when they leave he isn't looking in the past or worrying about anything, he is focused on building the best roster he can for a championship next year.
I asked him if it is special both his bowl games have been connected to his past playing UCF last year and then coaching back home in Birmingham this year, he said it seems like the UCF game was 10 years ago right now, but he said it is pretty cool and he is running out of things he is connected to, Chad interjected he could play Alabama next year in the playoffs and Key decided not to crack a joke about that.
Key was in a good mood and we pretty happy.
