Technical Tidbits 12/2: New coach, familiar name

Well, it’s official, Brent Key is the next head coach of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets’ football team. Oddly enough, to me, the decision to hire Key, while being surprising was at the same time expected in a way. It was surprising because at one point it seemed to be a certainty that Willie Fritz would be named the next head coach. But you can just read the comments section of this FTRS article to see that there was some uncertainty about the move. A couple of days later, the next thing I knew when I was checking my social media feed, Key was introduced as the team’s next head coach (Up to that point, I hadn’t heard the news until I saw AD Blatt’s introduction of the new coach to the team). And in a way, this seemed like the logical move given the inertia of the football program post-Collins and the inspiration Key had brought to it. With that said, let’s get into our first article which is another one from FTRS that focuses on the Key hire.

This article breaks down some of the possible moves newly minted head coach Brent Key may make as he officially takes over as the team’s coach. The dismissal of offensive coordinator Chip Long makes the most sense as I imagine there’ll be a rebuilding on the offensive side of the ball. While a full rebuild seems extreme, I do imagine that next season’s offense will be significantly different from this season’s given the uncertainty at the quarterback position.

I like that defensive coordinator Andrew Thacker was retained. Tech’s defense was a key factor in several of their victories this season. The article does mention Tashard Choice as a possible choice for offensive coordinator but casts doubt on him accepting anything less than a key position such as OC. Overall, the look and feel of the team should start to take shape in the next few weeks/months as Key builds out his staff.

This isn’t exactly news, but I thought I’d include this article regarding some transfer portal news related to Tech. Jeff Sims leaving comes as no surprise. The loss of wide receiver Nate McCollum is a tough one. He was a fun player to watch on the Flats (as was Sims) and seeing both of them leave will have significant ramifications for what the offense may look like, as I alluded to in the prior Tidbit article.

Okay, this last article isn’t exactly Tech related, but it’s one that I was really, really excited to read. The news that the College Football Playoff will be expanding to include 12 teams as of 2024 was a very welcomed development in the college football ecosphere. To me, the fact that it’s not 6 or 8 but 12 teams was a key surprise. I can honestly say, I am really looking forward to seeing how this plays out come 2024. Thoughts?