ACC Program Fires Four Coaches and Hands Key Role to NFL Free Agent After Seventh Loss of the Season
from Essentially College Football
Pissed off… Embarrassing… Joke. Those were some of the words that Georgia Tech’s Brent Key used in the aftermath of a shameful 44-17 loss to Louisville. It goes without saying that most of it was on him as the head coach. He knew the buck stopped with him. And so, he did what he thought was best for the team: follow Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Michigan’s suit with in-season firings. Georgia Tech, however, went a couple of steps further with Key deciding on a mass firing with three games still left.
But don’t make the error of thinking it was a quick fix or an emotional decision. No. As per Key’s own confession, he had been contemplating these moves for weeks. So, when reports shared that Georgia Tech fired defensive coordinator Jason Semore, defensive ends coach Kyle Pope, offensive line coach Allen Mogridge, and wide receivers coach Jafar Williams, Key presented it as a carefully planned move.
“Jason, Allen, Kyle, and Jafar are good football coaches and even better men, husbands, and fathers,” Key said on Monday while announcing their exits. “These decisions are not ones that I take lightly, especially in-season. I’ve decided that it’s necessary to make these changes at this time in order to put our players in the best position to be successful these final three games of the season.”
The firings are not surprising, at least to those who watched the Louisville game. Louisville piled up 251 rushing yards and three touchdowns while racing out to a 27-3 lead in the second quarter. That wasn’t the story of one game either. It has been a recurring theme with Georgia Tech in its seven losses this season.
Semore’s defense has struggled to generate pressure and turnovers, with Georgia Tech ranking near the bottom of the ACC in points allowed, total defense, and sacks. The problems extend to the offense. Mogridge’s offensive line, once a strength of the program, has struggled with protection and run blocking.
Pope’s edge rushers have failed to generate consistent pressure, while Williams was attempting to rebuild a receiver room affected by departures through the transfer portal and graduation. All of that resulted in some disappointing numbers:
The Yellow Jackets have given up at least 34 points in each of their last four losses, with their rushing defense sitting dead last in the ACC at 222.8 yards allowed per game. Louisville just further exposed that weakness on Saturday.
Georgia Tech hasn’t been able to find much success on the ground either, failing to crack 110 rushing yards in any of those four games.
Its scoring average has also taken a hit, dropping to 23.9 points per game from 32.2 last season.
The collapse is particularly striking considering where Georgia Tech stood a year ago.
The Yellow Jackets started 8-0, climbed as high as No. 7, and finished 9-4. Key subsequently signed a contract extension through 2030, while his team entered this season projected to finish fifth in the ACC. Instead, Georgia Tech has lost 11 of its last 14 games, forcing a sweeping staff shake-up.
Now that the program has gone ahead with mass firings, what’s next for them?
The new coaches for Georgia Tech
Key is turning to defensive backs coach Vinnie Sunseri to take over the defensive play-calling duties for the remainder of the season. The change marks another shake-up for Georgia Tech as Sunseri becomes the sixth coach to call the defense in just five seasons under Key.
Brandon Torrey and NFL free agent DeAndre Hopkins will also take on bigger responsibilities. Torrey will work with the offensive line, while Hopkins will coach the wide receivers.
Offensive coordinator George Godsey, who fans had been complaining about all season, and co-offensive coordinator Chris Weinke remain in their positions.
Georgia Tech is also reshuffling its defensive staff. Assistant head coach Jess Simpson, who already works with the defensive tackles, will expand his role to include defensive ends and outside linebackers. Senior defensive analyst Jack Tyler will take charge of coaching the linebackers.
Louisville had a blueprint to defeat Georgia Tech
Saturday’s defeat exposed the same weaknesses that have plagued the Yellow Jackets throughout the season. Louisville jumped to a 27-3 second-quarter lead and rushed for 251 yards and three touchdowns. Its wide receiver Tre Richardson broke loose for a 52-yard end-around touchdown after two Georgia Tech defenders collided, while Jackson Voth added a 68-yard punt return.
Key’s offense was equally ineffective. He alternated Alberto Mendoza and Grady Adamson on every first-half possession, but Georgia Tech converted just four of 17 third downs.
Despite scoring two red-zone touchdowns, the Yellow Jackets couldn’t overcome Louisville’s commanding lead. Afterward, Key described the team’s coaching and execution as embarrassing, acknowledging that the responsibility started with him.
However, the Louisville loss came after defeats against Boston College and Pittsburgh, adding to weeks of deteriorating results. So, we need to wait and watch if Georgia Tech can now turn things around.
Georgia Tech’s next test comes against a familiar foe: Clemson. They head to Clemson on Saturday with the kickoff scheduled at 12:30 p.m. at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina.