TAMPA, Fla. - Georgia Tech coach Brent Key spoke publicly for the first time about making more changes to the alignment of his defensive coaching staff.
After arriving at the team hotel Monday ahead of Friday’s Gasparilla Bowl where the Yellow Jackets (6-6) will play Central Florida (6-6), Key addressed his decision, which was announced Dec. 7, to move safeties coach Andrew Thacker and defensive backs coach Travares Tillman to off-field roles ahead of Tech’s 13th game this season.
“I’ve said since Day 1 every decision I make in the football program is what’s best for the players and what’s best for the school. I take that seriously,” Key said. “I understand that this dealing with people’s livelihoods. The compassion part is there, the humanity is there. But there’s a lot of people in the organization that I’m looking out for and I’m gonna make the best decisions for them.”
Key said special teams coordinator Ricky Brumfield, graduate assistant Alec Brown and graduate assistant Quentin Jones will take the place of Thacker and Tillman on the field Friday. Brumfield has coached the secondary at various stops during his 20-plus year coaching tenure, Brown played linebacker at Auburn and has been with the Jackets for three seasons and Jones, in his first season at Tech, previously coached the secondary at Lehigh for two years.
Key added that he doesn’t have any plans to make any more changes to the coaching staff ahead of Friday’s game.
“No,” he said. “Just focused on the game right now and ready to go.”
The changes marked the second time this season Key has shuffled his defensive coaching staff. On Oct. 1, a day after Tech lost 38-27 at home to Bowling Green, Key took the defensive coordinator reins from Thacker and handed them over to linebackers coach Kevin Sherrer.
Tech went down to Miami the next week and won a 23-20 game – a game in which the Hurricanes scored only three points in the first half. But for the most part, Tech’s defense didn’t change drastically over time no matter who held the position of coordinator. The Jackets actually allowed 13 more yards per game after the change and only 0.6 points per game less.
Thacker was originally hired in December of 2018 by former Tech coach in Geoff Collins. Thacker was retained by Key when Key was named the program’s full-time coach in November of 2022 and Thacker signed a new contract Feb. 1 that paid him an annual salary of $650,000.
Key also retained Tillman, who returned to his alma mater in December of 2021 to coach for Collins ahead of the 2022 season. Tillman is receiving an annual salary of $350,000.
Key and the Jackets arrived in Tampa just after noon Monday. Many of the team’s traveling party were scheduled to enjoy at day at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay before the first bowl practice of the week scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at Carrollwood Day School. Tech is also scheduled to practice Wednesday and have a walkthrough at Raymond James Stadium.
Off-field activities this week include a tour of the MacDill Air Force Base (Tuesday) and a visit to a local middle school (Wednesday). A block party is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Thursday at The Sail Plaza.
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