Midseason coaching changes are not unfamiliar to Georgia Tech.
Since Brent Key took over as coach at his alma mater, on an interim basis in 2022 before being given the full-time job later that year, in-season coaching changes have been part of his short tenure. The latest such case was the resignation of special teams coordinator/cornerbacks coach Ricky Brumfield.
Brumfield, hired by Key in February 2023, was promoted to associate head coach in September and also took on the role of cornerbacks coach. But when Tech departed Atlanta for Blacksburg, Virginia, to play Virginia Tech last week, Brumfield did not make the trip. Tuesday, Tech announced Brumfield no longer was on the staff, and shortly thereafter Brumfield posted on X that he had “made the difficult decision to step away from my position with the football program.”
Brumfield has not responded to the AJC’s requests for comment, but his agent, Tyler Endebrock, responded to the AJC in an email about Brumfield’s departure.
“Ricky needed to take a step back for personal reasons and to be with his family,” Endebrock wrote. “This industry takes a toll on people — especially coaches — in more ways than one. He’s healthy and in great spirits, just was time for a change!”
Key, speaking Thursday for the first time since Brumfield’s official departure, had little to say. “Just he’s no longer with the team,” Key said. “Wish him the best, but he’s no longer with the team.”
Brumfield reportedly received a contract extension in September. The AJC requested the contract, but Georgia law dictates that Tech has 90 days to provide the document.
Brumfield is the second assistant to leave the program during the season in Key’s tenure. In 2022, when Key was the interim, running backs coach Mike Daniels resigned in October.
During the 2023 season, defensive coordinator Andrew Thacker was reassigned to safeties coach. Later in the season, he and Travares Tillman, the team’s secondary coach at the time, were moved to off-field roles and were deemed special assistants to the head coach. Neither returned this season.
“That’s not something you want to do at all, guys, by any means,” Key said about midseason staffing changes. “That’s what kind of yanked me up a little bit, that sometimes things are out of your control. But (Brumfield’s) no longer with the team, wish him the best.”
Tim Salem, the senior adviser to the head coach, will assume the role of special teams coordinator for the rest of the season. A college coach for nearly 40 years, Salem had coached tight ends for nine years at Pitt before coming to Atlanta this season.
Salem also has been at, among others, Purdue, Ohio State and UCF, where he and Key worked together from 2004-11.
The Yellow Jackets (5-4 overall, 3-3 in the ACC) had their best special teams performance of the season, per Pro Football Focus, in the 21-6 loss at Virginia Tech.
“Tim’s a guy that’s been around a long time, coached a lot of football, coached a lot of special teams, lot of really good special teams,” Key said. “I expect us to improve in that facet.”
Tech has this weekend off and will host No. 5 Miami (8-0, 4-0) on Nov. 9. A kickoff time has yet to be announced.
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