"It's Powerade, we're a Coca-Cola school...": Georgia Tech coach jokingly schools ACC Network reporter on his drink choice after bowl game win

Georgia Tech ended the 2023 college football season on a brilliant note following a win against UCF in the Gasparilla Bowl. This marked a brilliant first full season for head coach Brent Key after ending the regular season as the fourth-best team in the ACC with a 7-6 record.

Key was named substantive Georgia Tech coach at the end of the 2022 college football season following a 4-4 record after taking over in an interim capacity from fired Geoff Collins halfway through the season. Notably, the Yellow Jackets never recorded more than three wins in a season in the three full seasons of Geoff Collins.

Winning his first bowl game as the head coach of the program, Key couldn't help but show how ecstatic he was in a hilarious way. The coach subtly reintroduced the Gatorade-Powerade brand rivalry in his postgame interview with ACC Network sideline reporter Taylor Tannebaum.

After Key received a traditional sports drink bath from his team, Tannebaum referred to it as Gatorade. Still, Key gave a subtle correction, invoking some historical rivalry between his school and where the bowl game was played.

“Coach, you smell like Gatorade…What does this Bowl win mean?” Tannebaum asked

“It’s Powerade, we’re a Coca-Cola school…,” Key replied.

His swift and subtle correction of Tannebaum after the celebratory drenching underscored Georgia Tech's profound connection to Atlanta and its local beverage giant. The university is based in Atlanta, where Dr. John Pemberton created the beverage in 1886.

However, the Gasparilla Bowl took place in Florida, which is noteworthy as Gatorade was developed in a lab at the University of Florida. Gatorade, known for its widespread brand recognition compared to Powerade, is under the ownership of PepsiCo.

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What does the future hold for Georgia Tech under BrentKey?

Leading them to their first winning season and bowl game appearance in five years, the future appears to be bright for Georgia Tech under the leadership of Brent Key. The program's period of struggle, which lasted a couple of seasons under Geoff Collins, might be over.

Under the leadership of Key, the team has undergone a significant transformation, becoming a more appealing destination for both players and staff. The Yellow Jackets have also been propelled to become one of the top offenses in the ACC, which hasn't gone unnoticed.

With the team already doing brilliantly in recruiting both with the high school prospects and on the transfer portal, there's no doubt that the Yellow Jackets are set for something big under Key.