We’ve talked all season about how college football had entered its professional wrestling era. Well, following a win in the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl, Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key resembled more of a NASCAR driver.
Just a few days after signing the ACC’s seventh-best recruiting class for 2024, the Yellow Jackets defeated UCF 30-17 in what was Key’s first bowl victory as a head coach. The 45-year-old Key, who played right guard at Tech (1997-2000), now has more wins in less than two seasons than his predecessor, Geoff Collins, who was fired just a few games into his fourth season with a 10-28 mark.
So, one would think that Key would immediately want to discuss his team’s remarkable turnaround in his postgame interview with ACC Network sideline reporter Taylor Tannenbaum. But as Tannebaum invoked the words “Gatorade” following a sports drink bath from his team, Key had other ideas.
“Coach, you smell like Gatorade…What does this Bowl win mean?
“It’s Powerade, we’re a Coca-Cola school…”
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His quick correction of Tannebaum following a celebratory drenching served as a stark reminder of Georgia Tech’s deep-rooted ties to Atlanta and its iconic beverage giant.
The bowl game was played in Florida, where Gatorade was created in a lab at the University of Florida, only two hours away from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. Gatorade, which has a much higher brand recognition than Powerade, is owned by PepsiCo. On the other hand, Georgia Tech is an Atlanta-based institution, the birthplace of Coca-Cola.
This tongue-in-cheek moment drew a lot of attention on social media, including Tannebaum, who had a great reaction to the postgame ordeal. And while it likely won’t help Key win any recruiting battles, it’ll undoubtedly see him win some brownie points with his fanbase, as he was determined not to let a casual remark detract from the program’s deep ties to Atlanta and its sponsorship.
Now, if you see Key at a diner, perhaps avoid asking if Pepsi would do in a pinch.
