Georgia Tech announced in a news release Tuesday that Ricky Brumfield — the team’s associate head coach for special teams and cornerbacks coach — is no longer with the program.
Brumfield, who was present at the Yellow Jackets’ practices last week, did not travel with the program to Blacksburg, Virginia, for Tech’s game Saturday at Virginia Tech. Second-year coach Brent Key would not explain Brumfield’s absence on the trip.
“Yeah, he didn’t make the trip, and that’s all I have. That’s all the information I have,” Key said after the game. When pressed for more context, Key only reiterated. “Like I said, he didn’t make the trip, and that’s all the information I have.”
Brumfield posted a statement Tuesday on X: “I have made the difficult decision to step away from my position with the football program. I am truly appreciative for the opportunity to help our student-athletes achieve greatness on and off the field and couldn’t be more excited to see this team finish the season strong.”
Brumfield had reportedly signed an extension with Georgia Tech in September, placing him under contract through the 2026 season at an average base salary of $425,000. Hired by Key in 2023, Brumfield’s original contract paid him an annual salary of $300,000.
Georgia Tech struggled on special teams the last few games relative to the successes that unit had through 2023 and the early part of this season. Those struggles were magnified in the 31-13 loss to Notre Dame on Oct. 19, when the Jackets gave up a fake punt and fake field goal, had a field goal blocked and had another attempt aborted because of a bad snap.
The Jackets also allowed a 69-yard punt return for a touchdown in its win Oct. 12 at North Carolina, surrendered a 67-yard kickoff return in a win Oct. 5 against Duke and had a field goal at Louisville blocked and returned for a 40-yard touchdown on Sept. 21 .
Senior advisor to the head coach Tim Salem will assume the role of coordinating Tech’s special teams for the remainder of this season.
Brumfield, a former wide receiver for Utah State, has been an assistant coach for nearly 25 years and a special teams coordinator at Florida International, Virginia, Texas San Antonio, Western Kentucky and Nicholls State. His son, Kyan Brumfield, is in his first season as an analytics graduate assistant at Tech.
Ricky Brumfield is the second assistant coach to leave the program during the season in Key’s tenure. In 2022, when Key was the interim coach, running backs coach Mike Daniels resigned in October.
“I wished him the best, and we’re on to (Virginia),” Key said about Daniels’ departure then.
During the 2023 season, defensive coordinator Andrew Thacker was reassigned to safeties coach. Later that season, both he and Travares Tillman, the team’s defensive backs coach, were moved to off-field roles and were deemed special assistants to the head coach. Neither returned for the 2024 season.
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