By Loyd McIntosh, Sports Editor
PITTSBURGH — Hewitt-Trussville graduate got his first win as the Georgia Tech Head Coach as the Yellow Jackets upset No. 24 Pitt Panthers, 26-21, on Saturday, October 1.
Key was named interim head coach of his Alma Mater on Wednesday, September 27, shortly after Geoff Collins was relieved of his duties midway into his second year. Key was elevated to the position with just three days to prepare for the Yellowjacksts’ ACC match-up with Pitt at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh.
Related Story: Hewitt-Trussville grad Brent Key takes helm of the Ramblin’ Wreck
With the win, Key became the first coach in Georgia Tech history to defeat a ranked opponent in his first game as the Yellow Jackets’ head coach, where he was a stand-out offensive lineman from 1997-2000.
“I’m just very proud of these kids and this coaching staff that, in a week like this, we blocked out all the noise and eliminated all the external distractions that were around us and focused on one goal, and that was moving forward,” Key said during his post-game press conference. “We’re going to enjoy this on the way home tonight, but we got a lot of work to do.”
Georgia Tech moved to 2-3 overall and evened its Atlantic Coast Conference record at 1-1. No. 24-ranked and defending ACC champion Pitt fell to 3-2 overall and 0-1 in conference play.
Once a premier program in college football, Georgia Tech has slipped in prominence since last winning a national championship in 1990. Under Key’s leadership, the Yellow Jackets’ win over Pitt ended a handful of losing streaks.
The win was Georgia Tech’s first victory over a nationally ranked opponent since September 25, 2021, a 45-22 victory over North Carolina, ending a four-game losing streak to ranked teams.
The win was also the Yellow Jackets’ first road victory over a nationally-ranked team in six years, when they defeated Virginia Tech in Blacksburg on Nov. 12, 2016, snapping a streak of six-straight road losses to ranked teams.
The win snapped Georgia Tech’s nine-game losing streak against NCAA Division I FBS opponents, dating back to a 31-27 victory at Duke on Oct. 9, 2021.
A native of Clay, Key graduated from Hewitt-Trussville High School in 1997, where he played for legendary head coach Jack Wood. After graduating from Georgia Teach, Key served as an assistant coach for the Univerity of Central Florida and the University of Alabama, helping the Crimson Tide win a national title in 2017.