- 9 hours ago
The Steakhouse is joined by Brent Key to discuss one of college football's most passionate rivalries: Georgia Tech versus Georgia. Coach Key shares his thoughts on what the matchup means to the state, the players, and the fans, while discussing the challenge of competing against the Bulldogs and the future of the rivalry.
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00:00Sports Radio 92.9 The Game.
00:02Stakes Shapiro, Brent Key, and Sandra Golden
00:05chopping it up on a Wednesday morning.
00:10So what's the most, what is your daughter,
00:12what's a great daddy-daughter date, daddy-daughter day?
00:16And what's your daughter's name, I apologize.
00:18Harper.
00:18Harper, yeah.
00:19What's a great Brent Harper day look like?
00:22Okay, so I will say this, every day,
00:25I do not leave the house unless I kiss her goodbye.
00:27Yeah.
00:28All right, I'm not going to go in the house.
00:29Great age, by the way.
00:30At 4.30 in the morning, right?
00:31And if, I mean, she's going to wake up,
00:33I'm going to see her every morning,
00:34have breakfast with her, quick breakfast.
00:36And a fun day is in the pool,
00:40hanging out at the pool in the backyard,
00:41or we do daddy-daughter stuff at the elementary school.
00:46Yeah, love those daddy-daughter dance or date
00:48or whatever you show up at school.
00:49It's so cool.
00:50Yeah, I have a 21 and 19-year-old,
00:53and I said, and that's fun and it's totally different,
00:55but when they're 7, 8, 9, and you get that hug, right?
00:59When you come through the door.
01:00Da-da.
01:01Yeah, that's a different level, right?
01:02It's different.
01:03And I've got all women in my life.
01:05My mom, my wife, my daughter.
01:08Your wife who you met at Central Florida.
01:10Met her at UCLA.
01:10She's a badass marketing guru there.
01:13She was-
01:13What was your game like in terms of-
01:15Yeah, Brent, come on.
01:16Yeah, when did you identify her as a recruit?
01:19When did you identify her?
01:20What was the process?
01:22How'd you do?
01:24I've been able to recruit always.
01:25I've been able to recruit for my entire career.
01:28That is true.
01:28I will be very blunt about that.
01:32Yeah.
01:34So was she on the marketing side of things?
01:37Yeah, she went to school there, went to grad school.
01:38Was there a first date?
01:39Was there marketing?
01:40Oh, gosh, I can't even remember.
01:41I know we got an anniversary coming up.
01:43We got an anniversary.
01:44No, I hope she is.
01:45You got to get it right.
01:45I hope she is.
01:46Our anniversary coming up, we were friends for a long time.
01:52And then she transitioned over, worked in recruiting and football and worked in ops,
01:58in administration.
01:59She worked for Georgia O'Leary.
02:01So she gets it.
02:02Right.
02:03She gets it.
02:05And when everything went down there, we ended up getting a chance to go to Tuscaloosa.
02:10Then she was able to learn from Ms. Terry about being a coach's wife.
02:14Right.
02:14And that was...
02:15That's a real job.
02:16That's a real position, man.
02:17It was such an unbelievable time that we were in Tuscaloosa.
02:20You know, the experiences, the people we were with, the other coaches, the coach's wives,
02:23Ms. Terry, Nick.
02:25I mean, it was awesome.
02:25People on that coaching staff, I imagine some guys have gone on to do some things since I...
02:30Our offensive staff, not the whole staff, our offensive staff in my first year.
02:36I was O-line, Mario was tight ends, Lane was the OC, Locks, Locksley, Michael Locksley,
02:42Steve Sarkeesian, we're analysts.
02:45Billy Napier was the wide receivers coach.
02:48That is wild.
02:49That first six you just threw out.
02:51Unbelievable.
02:51Six or seven.
02:52That's wild.
02:53The other side where you're Pruitt, Tosh, Derek Ansley.
02:57Yeah.
02:57There's a reason they call it what it is, which like the greatest, whatever, is a graduate
03:01program or whatever, you know, the stepping ground.
03:05It's like...
03:05Pete Golding.
03:06Yeah.
03:06Pete Golding's on that staff as well.
03:08What was he doing?
03:10So he came in first as a defensive assistant and as a linebacker's coach.
03:13Jeez Louise.
03:14Y'all are listening to Brent Key, head coach at Georgia Tech.
03:16If we didn't mention it, he was kind enough to come in and co-host with us.
03:19You got great pipes.
03:20You're very good at this, Brent.
03:22What are you talking about?
03:24I'm trying to be like steak.
03:26He's got that voice that's just recognizable.
03:28It is true.
03:29Whether he's talking good about tech or bad about tech, you just know it's steak.
03:33Here's what I'd say about tech.
03:34I talk like a fan, right?
03:35Fan is short for fanatic.
03:36Yeah, I mean, and I get upset and I was upset after, you know, baseball because we had Ramsey
03:42in here and we just love the guy and we were, you know, I didn't know, we didn't know Oklahoma
03:46was the juggernaut that it was.
03:49You know, I've been rooting for tech basketball.
03:51There's no, nothing I've done more than going to tech hoop games over the years.
03:53Paul Hewitt and went to the final four with him.
03:56Bobby Kremins is the favorite person.
03:57Are you apologizing?
03:58No, I'm just excited.
03:59What are you talking about?
04:00What are we talking about here?
04:01I'm saying that I've rooted for Georgia Tech for a long time.
04:04Is there some bad stuff that came out or something?
04:05No, never bad stuff.
04:06Listen, we've been doing this a long time.
04:08He may or may not have got attacked on Twitter after Georgia Tech lost in the baseball.
04:11We don't want to bring it up.
04:12Hey, let's talk about it.
04:14Listen, you don't sit in front of a mic.
04:16We're paid for our opinion, right?
04:18We're in the opinion business.
04:19That's why people listen.
04:20Yeah.
04:21That's why people write.
04:22So let me say this about one of my favorite interviews.
04:24I think we were at Whataburger.
04:26You remember this?
04:26I do.
04:27We were at Whataburger.
04:28How can one forget a Whataburger experience?
04:29It was a morning.
04:31That's classic radio, right?
04:32Very glamorous.
04:33We had a Whataburger in Kennesaw.
04:35So you came on, and it was soon enough after Georgia Georgia Tech two years ago, the famous—is
04:41it eight overtimes, seven overtimes?
04:42How many was it?
04:43Do we know?
04:43Eight?
04:44One of the most famous games in the history of sports in the state of Georgia, one of
04:48the most famous college football games ever.
04:50And it was soon enough after that it was raw enough that you came on, and you took us
04:57through the night.
04:58You took us through the now famous embrace.
05:02Listen, you and Kirby Smart aren't going to be best friends.
05:04You're not hanging out on, you know, Baker's Bay together or hanging out down there at Orange
05:09Beach, right?
05:10But the moment that you guys had after, and I think you phrased it as, there's only two
05:15people in the world that'll understand what that was just like on that Friday night or
05:21Saturday night?
05:22Friday.
05:22Friday night.
05:23Friday night in Athens.
05:2428 degrees.
05:25With one of the most incredible five hours of football you'll ever see in your life.
05:31Yeah, it was, there's something special about coaching at your alma mater.
05:36I mean, there's something special about it, and to go, you know, head-to-head like that,
05:40look.
05:42Haymaker after haymaker, play after, we're done, we're done, we're not done, we're going
05:47to win it, we're not going to, like, for, I've never seen a fan experience like being
05:52in the middle of that game.
05:53Yeah, it was, I mean, if I was a fan, I would have enjoyed it probably.
05:57Right.
05:57But, no, it's, there's so much respect for other coaches on other teams, and that's
06:04where people get, like, they're our rival.
06:06Look, I don't wear red, I don't mention my name, right, ever.
06:12Right.
06:12Right.
06:12I don't have a red wire in my truck, okay, all of that.
06:18But that doesn't mean you don't respect somebody, and you don't respect the staff,
06:22right?
06:22We've all probably worked together, been around each other, recruited together, all,
06:25you know, in all the schools in the South, right?
06:29It doesn't mean you don't respect people.
06:30So, so, take us back of what, like, it's a moment of pure exhaustion, you don't have
06:38your time to process what just happened, and, you know, I don't know how often you think
06:43about a game like that, or any loss in general, but that one in particular, I think there'll
06:46be a documentary made about that game, and think about it, because it's Carson, and it's
06:51pains, and it's the peak of just, like, what you're building at Tech, it's there in the
06:56middle of their national title, you know, run.
06:58It's all these storylines.
07:00Somebody will make a movie about it, a documentary about it.
07:03So, that's what you guys are feeling after that game, that moment?
07:07Yeah.
07:07I mean, look, you're exhausted.
07:09You're exhausted after any game.
07:10Right.
07:11Like, the players are physically and emotionally exhausted.
07:14The coaches are emotionally and mentally exhausted.
07:18The mental exhaustion of every play.
07:20And now, there's the bus ride back to Atlanta, right?
07:25What does that feel like?
07:27Is it going through plays in your head, or are you just worn out?
07:31I mean, just, you know, if you've ever been so tired and you can't sleep, and you're just
07:37drained, and you're going back through every moment thinking about it, but also thinking,
07:43and, look, after every game, you can only hang on it for so long, right?
07:47We were probably, you know, to Gwinnett County by the time I'm thinking about, okay, how do
07:54we not let this happen?
07:55How do we correct things?
07:56You know, what went wrong?
07:57What happened with the depth?
07:58How do we fix on the roster?
07:59How do we work on this?
08:00All right.
08:01All those things.
08:02Right.
08:03So, you start thinking about that.
08:04You got a job.
08:04You got a job.
08:05Yeah.
08:05Like, the things we have to do.
08:06Yeah.
08:07Right?
08:07Speaking of the things you have to do, what about your freshman quarterbacks, or particularly
08:11Berto Mendoza?
08:13Um, who, I don't know, could we know much less about in terms of what kind of quarterback
08:17he is until you know more than we do, but what can we expect?
08:21And if he wins the job?
08:23Well, I mean, we've made a commitment to throw the ball, you know, 70, 75 times.
08:28I've said that a bunch this year, a game.
08:30And yeah, absolutely.
08:32I think you'd run in the run and shoot June Jones style, Mouse Davis, right?
08:35Yeah, yeah, and I, and, yeah, right.
08:38Never going to be, never going to be the style of a brain key team, so.
08:42No, it's, we have to throw the ball better.
08:45We have to.
08:47Okay?
08:47Right?
08:48And when I say throw the ball better, it's in situational times.
08:51It's in the third and mediums.
08:52It's the third and, you know, third and longs.
08:53You know, convert more of those.
08:54When we get into the red area, when the windows get tighter, all right, you have to be able
08:57to execute better down there.
08:59All right?
08:59Those are the things we have to do.
09:00And it's been a concerted effort, a big reason why George Gozzi has come in, right?
09:06And, you know, aside of George being as close of a friend as he is to me, you know, he's
09:13the most brilliant football mind that I've ever been around, ever worked with.
09:18Explain that a little bit.
09:19And what does that mean, brilliant football mind?
09:21Just the way he sees the game, okay?
09:23The way he can compartmentalize things.
09:25But then, to me, what makes a great coach is, can you get the information to the players,
09:30all right?
09:30How do you teach?
09:31Like, coaching is teaching.
09:33Teaching is the ability to inspire learning, okay?
09:35Can you get all that information?
09:37Because some guys are really, really smart.
09:38They can't get it to the players.
09:40They're like a robot.
09:42But you've got George Gozzi and Chris Wienke working with our quarterbacks every single
09:47day.
09:47Yeah, it's a pretty good combo.
09:48And, you know, he and Berto sees the game the way they see it.
09:54I mean, in that time, those are two of the great quarterbacks in the country.
10:00All right?
10:02And he sees the game the same way.
10:04He's so competitive.
10:06He's got a lot of things he's got to work on.
10:08I mean, he's going to start his first college football game, all right, unless something
10:12crazy happens here in a couple months.
10:15Yeah.
10:16Well, we can't put that all on him, right?
10:18That's not our – I mean, we are stupid as coaches.
10:21That is my fault if we put everything on him to try to go win the game.
10:24Got to keep him out of harm's way, right?
10:26Yeah.
10:27Protect the football.
10:28The old Mark Richt of, like, just don't lose the game for us, right?
10:31Don't – just, you know, we're not going to ask you to do too much, but don't lose
10:34the football game.
10:35And because of that, because of having a new quarterback this year, whoever it was
10:39going to be, that's the reason we put so much into the defense.
10:42That's the reason I put so much investment into the defense from a personnel roster standpoint
10:46and a coaching standpoint.
10:47Yeah.
10:47Give us a few guys you're most excited about.
10:50Why is our defense going to look different, better?
10:52D-line.
10:52D-line.
10:53D-line.
10:54Affect the quarterback.
10:55Ability to stop the run and affect the quarterback.
10:57All right?
10:58Those are the two things we've not done well.
11:00Two years ago, we did a much better job of stopping the run, okay?
11:04We did not last year.
11:06And, you know, we've put a lot into that.
11:08I mean, we're three deep of guys I have 100% faith in being able to go out and execute
11:12and play good football, and from freshmen to seniors.
11:15Bigger, stronger, faster than any defensive group we've seen here in the last however many
11:20years?
11:20We are.
11:21We are all those things.
11:23You know, D-line obviously makes the DBs better.
11:25We've got more length at the DB spot.
11:28You know, more ability.
11:30You know, our safeties, I'm excited about those guys that are going to be young, but
11:33I'm excited about them.
11:34You know, guys back at linebacker.
11:37But the big thing is, I think, with Jason Seymour coming in, how he's been able to simplify
11:41the defense and let those guys go play freely and play fast.
11:47Brent Key with us, finishing up on Sports Radio 92.9 The Game.
11:50What's the most fun thing about being a, what's your favorite thing about being a head coach
11:55at Georgia Tech, or head coach in general?
11:57And then what's the least favorite part of your job?
12:00My favorite part is probably game week.
12:04Game week.
12:05Sunday to Friday.
12:06Preparation.
12:07Sunday to Thursday.
12:07The game week prep.
12:08Putting in the plan.
12:09Putting it all together.
12:10Right.
12:10I love the roster building.
12:11I love that part of it.
12:14Is that me getting around your coaches and just looking at, like, here, how we're going
12:17to construct this thing?
12:18Yeah.
12:19On the boards, whether it's Excel sheets or boards.
12:21Yeah.
12:22But it's also, you know, you're plugging in the monetary value, too, and how that fits.
12:25Right.
12:25Okay.
12:26That's right.
12:26So you actually, I actually am using my tech degree.
12:29Yeah.
12:29I have to be able to do those things.
12:30But an old teammate of mine sent me a little package yesterday.
12:36I got it in the mail.
12:37J.P. Fosche.
12:38Right.
12:38J.P.
12:39Was a great tight end here.
12:41Played seven, eight years in the NFL.
12:43Owns a huge construction company up in New York.
12:46Right.
12:46He sent me a package.
12:47And it was, it was a ruler, architect triangle, some graphing, some mechanical pencils and
12:56graphing paper.
12:57And he said, you're a builder just like I am.
13:01Right.
13:02Here's some things to help you in your build.
13:04And what a thoughtful, like, creative thing.
13:06Yeah.
13:06But it was so true.
13:07Yeah.
13:07So true.
13:08That's what you're doing every year.
13:10And least favorite part of the gig?
13:14I don't know if I have a least favorite part.
13:16Letting people go or having to make hard decisions sometimes with your friends or players?
13:20Well, that's, that's, that, that isn't any time you're a leader.
13:23Yeah.
13:24That is the hardest thing in the world.
13:26And people don't realize that.
13:27Do you dread it when you know it's coming up?
13:29Because I have.
13:29Oh, my gosh.
13:30I've been in that situation.
13:31You think about it for weeks because you know it has to happen.
13:33And people, people don't understand when you have to do it, how bad it hurts.
13:36They don't.
13:36Yeah.
13:37And they don't want to hear how bad it hurts to you because you know you're affecting their
13:40family and you're affecting.
13:41The thing, the worst part about the job or in leadership, I would say, is the thought
13:46of letting people down.
13:47Yep.
13:47Letting people down.
13:48Letting people down.
13:50Well, you didn't let us down.
13:51You gave us a nice hour before your vacation, right?
13:54We are right up the street.
13:56What?
13:56An hour?
13:57I know.
13:57That went fast, right?
13:58Really fast.
13:59We're like two blocks up the street, so there's no excuse that we can't do this more often.
14:03Sandra's going to harass you.
14:05Did she harass you to come in?
14:05Mike.
14:06Poor Mike Flynn's like blocked me.