The chances that his current employer would face his alma mater in a bowl game don’t seem particularly far-fetched given the geographical proximity of the two schools, but considering neither Tech nor Vandy has had one since 2018, when McKenzie moved Had a bowl game been hosted by Atlanta in 2023, the likelihood of the two programs crossing paths would have been slim.

“When we got the announcement about our opponent, I honestly thought, ‘That’s pretty cool,'” McKenzie said. “Because here we have two programs that Vanderbilt predicted would win two or three games, that we predicted would win three or four games, and a lot of similarities between the programs just in the fact that both head coaches coach at their alma mater. what both programs stand for this season and what they were able to accomplish. Pretty remarkable. And the fact that we get to play against each other is special.”

McKenzie graduated from McEachern High School, where he was a standout running back and was also part of the school record 4×200 meter running team. He began his Vandy career in 2001 and was part of teams that played Tech in 2002 and 2003. His fullback teammate during those years was Clark Lea, now the Commodores’ coach.

In the 2003 game played at Vanderbilt Stadium, McKenzie scored on a 2-yard touchdown run to give Vanderbilt a 17-10 lead with 32 seconds left in regulation.

“I remember we called a timeout and the team gathered and just talked about, ‘Hey, we’ve got to stop (Tech quarterback) Reggie Ball,'” McKenzie said. “We wanted to contain him. And the very next piece we didn’t do it. It was an explosive game and next thing we knew we were defeated.”

Vanderbilt lost the 2003 game 24-17 in overtime.

McKenzie went on to earn two degrees from Vandy. He returned to his alma mater in 2008 (after a brief stint at Hiram High School) and also made stops at Furman, Arkansas State and Louisville.

Since joining the Jackets, McKenzie has guided running backs Trey Cooley, Dontae Smith and former wide receiver Jamal Haynes to success with a firm hand.

“Man, a blessing. He welcomed me with open arms. He’s probably the first coach that really understands who Jamal is,” Haynes said. “A lot of coaches only look at a kid based on what he can do on the field. But understanding what’s going on in a child’s head and what’s going on throughout a child’s day is something that college players and I personally really enjoy. This is something that means the most to me as a coach. Just because he has open arms and then trains me hard the way I want to be trained, I just feel like I really appreciate it and I’ll never take it for granted.”

McKenzie praised Lea for his toughness as a player and how that has impacted Vandy’s program now that Lea is in his fourth season leading that program. He added that Key had a similar personality and that’s what drew him to Tech in the first place.

Now McKenzie has a chance to be on the other side of his former school and beat them.

“Man, I’m so happy for (Lea) and the team and for this program,” McKenzie said. “But like I mentioned, I’m excited about us and where we’re at.”