Just two years ago, Georgia Tech seemed to be at a low point. They were coming off three terrible seasons under former head coach Geoff Collins, and the outlook for the 2022 season did not look promising. The season began with a crushing loss to Clemson on Labor Day, followed by a win at Western Carolina (a game in which they allowed a ton of yards), and then embarrassing and uncompetitive losses to Ole Miss and UCF. The play on the field was a mess and difficult to watch at times, and after the loss to UCF, Georgia Tech fired Collins and then-athletic director Todd Stansbury and faced a crucial reshuffle of both athletic director and head coach. If they failed to make the reshuffles, Georgia Tech was in danger of falling even further behind.
While there is still a lot of work to be done and things to be done, the hiring of Brent Key as head coach and J Batt as athletic director at Georgia Tech is starting to pay off, and it may just be the beginning. There is a buzz around this program that hasn’t been there in years, and these two guys are the main reason why.
While it wasn’t a perfect first season as head coach, Key made hires and personnel changes that helped Georgia Tech become one of the best offenses in the ACC. He helped sign quarterback Haynes King from Texas A&M, who had a really good season for the Yellow Jackets. He hired offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner and offensive line coach Geep Wade, both of whom were instrumental in turning around the Yellow Jackets’ offense. Wade turned one of the worst offensive lines in the country into one of the best in the ACC, and they led the league in rushing. Faulkner led one of the greatest offensive turnarounds in the country. Georgia Tech was one of the most entertaining teams in the country.
The team really started to score in the second half of the year. They beat North Carolina thanks to a great offensive performance, swept Virginia, demanded everything from No. 1 Georgia (and gained over 200 yards in the game), and capped the year with the program’s first bowl appearance since 2018 and first bowl win since 2016. This program and this team finally had an identity, and with most of the offense returning and Key adding new players on the defensive side of the ball, there was optimism that something special was being put together on the Flats. The Yellow Jackets recruited well on signing day, bringing in defensive end Amontrae Bradford from Colorado and acquiring four-star running back Anthony Carrie.
However, there was more good news and this is where Batt comes in.
The Alexander-Tharpe Fund, the fundraising arm of Georgia Tech’s athletics organization, donated a record $78,197,499 to Tech’s athletics organization during its 2024 fiscal year, which ended June 30. The more than $78 million raised broke the previous record for single-year donations to the AT Fund and represents a 161% increase over the previous year.
“As the landscape of college sports changes and the financial resources required to compete in championships at the highest level increase, we are extremely grateful to our donors for stepping up to the cause and making a record-breaking impact on Tech sports,” Batt said. “An exceptional level of donor commitment is critical to our goal of fielding one of the best athletic programs in the country, and through their record contributions in 2023-24, our AT Fund donors have demonstrated that they are eager to be part of the exciting, long-term future of Tech sports. On behalf of our student-athletes, coaches and staff, we thank everyone who has invested in our student-athletes and teams in 2023-24 through your AT Fund donation and encourage everyone to help keep the momentum going by contributing to the AT Fund, The Tech Way and purchasing season tickets in 2024-25.”
Batt deserves a lot of credit for raising that amount. When he was hired as athletic director in 2022, he had a reputation as a great fundraiser at Alabama, where he previously worked. He has used those skills for Georgia Tech, and this news is paying off.
Of the more than $78 million transferred to the AT Fund in cash and commitments in fiscal year 2024, nearly 90% came in the form of non-residence-related gifts, including more than 20 gifts of $1 million or more.
The over $78 million raised in FY24 not only represents a 161% increase over FY23, but is also 43% above the AT Fund’s previous record of $55,559,723 raised in 2019-20.
“This year’s results reflect the strong legacy of Georgia Tech sports and the passion today of our alumni, fans and community when our student-athletes excel and our teams win,” said Jen Howe, vice president of development at Georgia Tech. “We look forward to continuing to work with J and his team to provide even greater support for the sport so we can face the changing NCAA landscape.”
The last few weeks have increased the belief that Brent Key is showing what Georgia Tech is capable of. Today, he pulled off perhaps the biggest recruiting success in Georgia Tech history by landing five-star offensive tackle Josh Petty over top programs like Florida State and Ohio State. Two years ago, this would have seemed impossible, but Key is putting Georgia Tech back in the thick of the race. Additionally, Georgia Tech has received predictions to sign former four-star Georgia recruit Christian Garrett, who decommitted from his commitment to the Bulldogs last night. This would catapult Georgia Tech’s recruiting class into the top 20 and put them in position to land one of the best classes they’ve ever had. Key has taken recruiting in a direction this program has never seen before, and while there is still work to be done in all areas, you can’t deny that work is being done, and Key deserves a lot of credit for that, as does J Batt.
