Georgia Tech OC Buster Faulkner: ‘There’s not another place in the world I’d rather be’
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
A little more than a week ago, Georgia Tech handed Buster Faulkner another contract extension, a newsworthy item that signaled Tech’s investment in, not just Faulkner, but the football program as a whole.
“That just is another sign that shows the commitment that starts with (Tech president) Dr. (Ángel) Cabrera, with his commitment to Georgia Tech athletics and his commitment to Georgia Tech football, and giving us the resources to compete with anybody out there, anybody in the country,” Tech coach Brent Key said during the ACC Football Kickoff. “I can’t thank him enough for allowing those things to continue to happen.”
The terms of Faulkner’s new two-year extension on a contract originally signed in 2023 have not been made public, but ESPN reported Faulkner’s salary will be $1.5 million for the 2025 and 2026 seasons. Faulkner signed an extension in December of 2023 upping his annual salary then to $1 million.
Faulkner’s new salary makes him the highest paid assistant coach in Tech athletic history. It also gives him a higher annual salary than at least 49 FBS head coaches, according to the USA Today head coach salary database published in October.
“I couldn’t, obviously, not start with coach Key and thank him enough for his commitment to Georgia Tech,” Faulkner said Tuesday after Tech’s second practice of the preseason. “That’s the best thing about working for coach Key, he absolutely loves this place, he wants to do everything he can to win, he takes care of his staff. I’m just grateful for him and the opportunity and very understanding that we got a job to do for Georgia Tech and coach Key.
“Being in this state means a lot to me, I’ve said that over the last couple years. There’s not another place in the world I’d rather be. I’ve said it, I mean it. Just really excited about what the future holds for this place.”
Alongside Key and co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Chris Weinke, who have been with Tech since 2022, Faulkner has helped create Tech’s offensive identity of an attack that is as multiple as it is dangerous. The Yellow Jackets have averaged 424.8 yards of total offense, 229.2 passing yards and 195.4 rushing yards per game in the past two seasons.
Most importantly, Tech is averaging 29.8 points per game over that span and has only been held under 20 points three times (two of those instances coming when star quarterback Haynes King did not play because of injury). Only once in the last two seasons has Tech’s offense failed to score a touchdown.
“He’s the best play-caller in the country,” Key said. “Talk about getting the ball in the hands of different guys — and we’ve got a lot of really good skill players on offense this year.”
Talent, of course, helps Faulkner’s offense put up the aforementioned numbers. King, running back Jamal Haynes and wide receiver Malik Rutherford have all had a big hand in the program’s recent offensive prowess. This year’s team has expectations for wide receivers Isiah Canion, Bailey Stockton, Eric Rivers and Dean Patterson to make big impacts in the passing game and Malachi Hosley and Trelain Maddox to provide explosive depth behind Haynes.
On paper, Tech’s offense has the chance to be even better in 2025. But Faulkner knows that improvement won’t just be handed to him and his offense in its third iteration.
“It’s being able to throw the ball when we need to throw the ball, being able to be explosive in the passing game — not just every other game, but when we need it or when we wanna be able to do it. That’s the biggest step that we gotta take," Faulkner said. “We’re always gonna do what it takes to win games and that’s what I love about coach Key. He always put together a plan to win the game. Each one of those could be different. But that is the next element to what we wanna do offensively.”
About the Author
