The 2025 season came to a bittersweet end for Georgia Tech, as the Yellow Jackets fell 25-21 to BYU in their bowl game - a narrow loss that kept them just shy of a 10-win season. But while the scoreboard didn’t tilt their way, the postgame focus wasn’t on the final result. It was on the 26 seniors who suited up for the last time, and the continued evolution of a program that’s clearly found its footing under Brent Key.
This group of seniors wasn’t just part of the roster - they were foundational. When Key took over, Georgia Tech had managed just nine wins across the previous three seasons.
Fast forward to now, and the Jackets have posted 23 wins in the last three years. That turnaround didn’t happen by accident.
“Twenty-six guys have meant this much to the program. Playing their last game.
That’s what this is about,” Key said, visibly emotional in the postgame press conference. “I’m going to soak in every last moment I have with these guys.”
That emotion wasn’t just about the end of a season - it was about the end of a chapter. And now, the natural question becomes: what’s next?
Key didn’t sugarcoat it. The work starts now.
“You get better or get worse,” he said. “We’ve got work to do.
We’ve got to make sure we have the best roster we can possibly have. The best staff we can possibly have.
It’ll be here fast. As quick as this season went, the next one will be here.”
That forward-looking mindset has become a hallmark of Key’s tenure. He’s not one to dwell on outcomes - win or lose. Instead, his focus remains on how the game is played, how the team prepares, and the culture that’s being built brick by brick.
“Whether you win or lose, the feeling is the same,” he said. “You can’t control the outcome. You can only control how you play.”
That perspective has become a guiding principle for the program. For Key, it’s not just about chasing wins - it’s about building something sustainable. Something that lasts.
“It’s not dictated by wins and losses,” he continued. “It’s dictated by the type of team you have and how you play the game.
I get it - we’re all judged by wins and losses. But when you put everything together the right way, those become a byproduct of everything being in the right place.”
That philosophy extended to his thoughts on bowl season as well - a time of year that’s come under increasing scrutiny as players opt out and fans debate the significance of non-playoff games. But to Key, the meaning is crystal clear.
“Competitors compete,” he said. “It doesn’t matter where it is, what time it is.
We will always have a team of competitors. I’m a competitor.
That’s what we do.”
He pushed back against the narrative that bowl games don’t matter, calling out the idea that these postseason matchups are somehow less meaningful.
“I don’t understand the narrative that’s been created the last couple of years that these games aren’t important,” Key said. “There’s 365 days a year that we live and work to get 12 opportunities.
To get another opportunity? It’s another chance to play a game.”
As for the game itself, Key stood by the plan. Georgia Tech mixed things up offensively, balanced between run and pass, and had a shot late. That’s all you can ask for in a one-score game.
“I thought we had a good plan,” he said. “We had a good mix of run-pass. At the end of the day, we were in a position to win the football game.”
And when asked about the chaotic nature of the game - a fitting end to a season that had its fair share of twists - Key didn’t miss a beat.
“How much have you followed Georgia Tech football the last couple of years?” he said with a smirk.
“Our middle name is chaos. Unfortunately, we couldn’t come out on top.”
Even in defeat, there’s a sense that Georgia Tech is headed in the right direction. The seniors who helped turn the tide are moving on, but the culture they helped build isn’t going anywhere.
Under Brent Key, this program isn’t just chasing wins. It’s chasing something bigger - and that journey is far from over.