Brent Key Channels Nick Saban’s Mount Everest Wisdom After Georgia Tech’s Stunning Win Over Clemson
Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key is reminding his team that the view from the mountaintop can be as dangerous as the climb itself. Fresh off a heart-thumping 24–21 upset of No. 12 Clemson, Key borrowed a famous Nick Saban metaphor to frame the Yellow Jackets’ next challenge: staying sharp against Temple.
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At his weekly press conference, Key acknowledged the emotional high of last weekend’s victory. Georgia Tech kicker Aidan Birr drilled a 55-yard field goal as time expired, sending the home crowd into a frenzy and sealing one of the program’s biggest wins in recent memory. Fans rushed the field, players celebrated like champions and now, just a week later, Key’s task is to bring everyone back down to earth.
“These guys have earned the opportunity to now have this challenge,” Key said.
“They’ve earned that by the way they’ve played, competed, and delivered the outcomes we all wanted. Every challenge gets bigger.”
Then came the Sabanism.
“Coach Saban used to tell us that more people die on the way down from Mount Everest than on the way up,” Key explained. “You can’t relax. You can’t relax. You have to be just as prepared every single week.”
No “Crescendo Game”
Key stressed that Georgia Tech’s season isn’t defined by one thrilling finish or even one giant upset.
“There is no crescendo or top,” he said. “Our goals when we started the season were not to win game three. They weren’t to win game four, eight, or 12. Our goals are a lot bigger than that.
It’s a subtle but important shift in mindset turning an emotional, historic moment into a stepping stone rather than a peak.
The Clemson Moment
With the score tied and only seconds left on the clock, Georgia Tech’s special teams faced the kind of chaotic scenario that defines college football lore. No timeouts, under 20 seconds to play, and a fourth-and-3 staring them down. In a blur, the unit sprinted onto the field, lined up with mechanical precision, and trusted Birr’s leg.
He delivered. From 55 yards. As the football sailed through the uprights, Bobby Dodd Stadium erupted, students poured onto the field, and the upset became official.
The Bigger Picture
But for Key, that victory isn’t a destination it’s a checkpoint. His Everest analogy underscores the precarious balance between celebrating a triumph and losing focus because of it. With Temple looming, he wants his players to embrace the grind, not the headlines.
Georgia Tech fans may still be replaying Birr’s kick on loop, but inside the locker room, Key’s message is clear: the climb continues, and the descent could be fatal if the Jackets stop moving forward.
