Georgia Tech has fired four staff members amid a 2-7 season that has the Yellow Jackets in last place in the ACC, ESPN’s Pete Thamel first shared this afternoon and FootballScoop can confirm. The group includes defensive coordinator Jason Semore, defensive ends and outside linebackers coach Kyle Pope, offensive line coach Allen Mogridge and wide receivers coach Jafar Williams. The moves come after a four-game losing streak, including lopsided losses to Boston College (49-27), Pitt (34-11) and Louisville (44-17), with the defense especially vulnerable to the streak. Head coach Brent Key, in his fourth full season, entered 2026 after a stronger 2025 campaign and with significant off-season changes. He brought in Semore as defensive coordinator (reuniting after Semore’s 2022 stint as linebackers coach) and George Godsey as offensive coordinator, while adding transfers that included quarterback Alberto Mendoza. The results have not followed. Key has previously described the program as needing a thorough evaluation and has been cautious about midseason personnel changes, but the layoffs come with games still left, starting with a trip to Clemson. Looking to replace the job Buster Faulkner did as offensive coordinator last season by hiring George Godsey was considered by most to be a surprising decision. Jason Semore, in his first season as Tech’s DC after previous stops as DC at Southern Miss (where the defense led the nation in interceptions), Marshall, Valdosta State and Montana, was hired to install a more aggressive scheme focused on takeaways and negative plays. Instead, the unit has had significant issues in total and rushing defense. Kyle Pope, in his third season at Georgia Tech after previous roles at Memphis (including as defensive run game coordinator), Liberty and as a graduate assistant at Alabama, coached the edge group. He had previous ties with Key since they coincided in the Alabama orbit. Allen Mogridge returned to Georgia Tech as offensive line coach for 2026 after serving as senior offensive advisor in 2024 and one year as OL coach at Appalachian State. A long-time veteran with stops that included UCF (where he worked with Key), East Carolina, USF, FIU and others, he brought extensive experience in Power conferences and on Group of Five lines. Jafar Williams, a first-year hire at Tech after serving as an assistant wide receivers coach at Vanderbilt, had previously worked in full-time roles coaching receivers or backs at Temple, Virginia Tech, Rutgers, Maryland, Purdue and elsewhere. He was tasked with rebuilding a receivers room that was heavily renovated at the gate and during graduation. Offensive coordinator George Godsey and co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Chris Weinke remain on staff, as do other position coaches, including defensive line coach Jess Simpson, running backs coach Jimmy Smith and the secondary staff. Sources tell FootballScoop that some changes in roles are expected within this group. The firings mark a major midseason reset for a program that has seen defensive and offensive inconsistency throughout the year. Georgia Tech’s remaining schedule includes the Clemson rivalry game and a late-season showdown with Georgia. Georgia Tech has now shared how they will adjust personnel for the remainder of the season. Defensive backs coach Vinnie Sunseri, a former Alabama safety and NFL draft pick who spent time as co-defensive coordinator at Florida, will take over defensive play-calling duties. On offense, DeAndre Hopkins, the five-time All-Pro receiver and Clemson alum who joined the staff this summer as an assistant receivers coach, will take charge of the wide receivers room. Hopkins has a long-standing relationship with offensive coordinator George Godsey dating back to their time with the Houston Texans. Meanwhile, assistant offensive line coach Brandon Torrey, a former NFL lineman, will assume primary responsibility for the offensive line. Defensive line coach and assistant head coach Jess Simpson will expand his role to include defensive ends and outside linebackers, while senior defensive analyst Jack Tyler, former all-ACC linebacker at Virginia Tech and recent defensive coordinator at East Texas A&M, will coach the linebackers. The moves come as the Yellow Jackets, 2-7 overall and 1-5 in the ACC, look to stabilize both sides of the ball during the final stretch of the regular season. Listen to how Key spoke after his most recent loss. It’s safe to say things aren’t great right now at Georgia Tech. Worth listening to: An excited Brent Key speaks after Georgia Tech’s 44-17 loss to Louisville. https://t.co/BG5zAwWZF7 — Jared Halus (@JaredHalusCFB) November 8, 2026
