Brent Key Named Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week
Key receives award after upsetting No. 10 Florida State in Aer Lingus College Football Classic
Key receives award after upsetting No. 10 Florida State in Aer Lingus College Football Classic
ATLANTA (Aug. 26, 2024) - Officials from the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Peach Bowl, Inc. today announced that Georgia Tech head football coach Brent Key has been selected as The Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week Presented by PNC Bank.
The Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week award honors a football coach who led his team to a significant victory during the previous week, while also embodying the award’s three pillars of scholarship, leadership and integrity.
Key and the Yellow Jackets captured their first victory of the season with a thrilling 24-21 win over No. 10 Florida State on Saturday at the Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Dublin, Ireland. The Yellow Jackets won the game as time expired thanks to a 44-yard field goal courtesy of sophomore kicker Aidan Birr. The field goal culminated a 49-yard drive that took 12 plays and the final 6:33 off the game clock. Georgia Tech finished the game with 190 yards on the ground, led by running back Jamal Haynes’ 75 yards on 11 carries and two touchdowns. The stout Yellow Jackets defense countered by holding Florida State to just under 100 yards rushing (98) on the day to help secure the program’s first win over a nationally-ranked opponent in a season opener since 2005.
Key now improves to an impressive 5-0 mark against ranked Atlantic Coast Conference opponents following Saturday’s win. It also represents Georgia Tech’s first over a top-10 opponent since the “Miracle on Techwood Drive” in 2015, which was also over then No. 9 Florida State.
“Coach Key and the Yellow Jackets pulled off an impressive upset over the defending ACC champions to open the 2024 college football season,” said Jim Terry, chairman of the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation. “This was a historic win for the Georgia Tech football program that truly has the college football world buzzing about the Yellow Jackets.”
Brent Key, a Georgia Tech alumnus and football letterwinner, was officially named the 21st head coach in Yellow Jacket football history on Nov. 29, 2022. After winning just 10 of its previous 38 games, Georgia Tech is now 12-10 in Key’s 22 games as the head coach at his alma mater, including a 7-6 mark in his first full season at the helm in 2023. The winning season was Tech’s first since 2018 and was capped by a 30-17 win over UCF in the 2023 Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl.
Off the football field, Key’s players have had success in the classroom during his tenure, recording a 944 Academic Progress Rate and an 88 Graduation Success Rate during the 2023 season. The Graduation Success Rate measures the number of student-athletes who graduate from their school within six years of entering.
In the community, Key recently competed in the Southern Company Peach Bowl Challenge charity golf tournament this spring, where he raised $10,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
“Coach Key is already taking the Georgia Tech football program to new heights his first two years at the helm, both on and off the field,” said Peach Bowl, Inc. CEO and President, Gary Stokan. “We’re excited to see what additional new milestones he’s able reach this football season and throughout his career.”
The Dodd Trophy Presented by PNC Bank – along with the Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week Award – celebrates the head coach of a FBS team who enjoys success on the gridiron, while also stressing the importance of scholarship, leadership and integrity.
A panel consisting of all previous winners, national media, a member of the Dodd family and a College Football Hall of Fame member will identify the final list of potential recipients at the conclusion of the 2024 season. The winner of the 2024 Dodd Trophy Presented by PNC Bank will be announced in Atlanta during the week of the College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.
