On the heels of a nine-win season in which it spent multiple weeks ranked inside the top 10 nationally, Georgia Tech is revamping its staff in several areas as Brent Key moves the program into preparations for the 2026 season.
One such move, FootballScoop has learned, is bolstering special teams.
Key's Yellow Jackets are adding former University of Alabama long-snapper John Morrison to assistant with special teams, sources tell FootballScoop.
Specifically, Morrison will fill a special teams quality control coach-type of role at Georgia Tech, which raced to an 8-0 start last season before dropping four of its final five games in an 9-4 season.
Morrison, who walked onto the Crimson Tide football team in 2014-15 amidst legendary coach Nick Saban's dominant run at Alabama, also began his career as a student-assistant coach for the Tide.
Spending last year as an assistant at West Alabama working with special teams coordinator Thomas Fletcher in ex-Alabama strength coach and former Georgia assistant Scott Cochran's program, Morrison helped UWA start fast with a 5-0 opening to the 2025 season before injuries mounted and the team finished 5-4 with one game cancelled.
West Alabama's special teams in 2025 averaged more than 23 yards per kickoff return but allowed an average of less than 15 ypr; the Tigers also had a net punting average of nearly 44 ypp, hit all 37 extra point kicks and made 11 of 12 field goals.
Morrison exited coaching for several years and, after earning a post-graduate degree from Harvard Law, spent time in the private sector before returning to college football.
At Tech, Morrison will work under long-time coaching veteran Tim Salem, who first joined Key's staff in a special assistant role and later was elevated to special teams coordinator.
Salem has extensive Power Conference experience, working nearly a decade as Pat Narduzzi's special teams coordinator at Pittsburgh in addition to extended coaching at Big Ten Conference program Purdue University prior to that.
Georgia Tech opens its 2026 season in a Thursday night, primetime TV tilt on Sept. 3 against the visiting Colorado Buffaloes of head coach Deion 'Coach Prime' Sanders. Tech defeated the Buffaloes, 27-20, at Folsom Field, to open the 2025 season.