Doubt about Gailey's status causes bowl uncertainty

ATLANTA - Emerald Bowl executive director Gary Cavalli says that uncertainty about a coach, or a coaching change, makes a team less attractive to a bowl.

Cavalli said yesterday that he would hope Georgia Tech coach Chan Gailey is retained.

He says it would be in Georgia Tech's interest to get the situation resolved as quickly as possible.

Cavalli says his bowl also is considering Florida State and Maryland and probably would not make an announcement before next Sunday.

Gailey has four years, at about a million dollars per year, remaining on his contract.

Gailey's supporters point out that the Yellow Jackets have not had a losing season in his time as head coach. John Heisman (1904-1919) is the only other Tech coach without a losing season.

Gailey has kept alive Tech's 13-year streak of finishing at least .500 in the Atlantic Coast Conference and 11-year streak of qualifying for a bowl.

Tech hasn't had a losing season with Gailey, but often the Yellow Jackets have been .500 in the conference and just over .500 overall.

In Gailey's six years, Tech has finished 4-and-4 in the ACC four times. Overall, Gailey is 44-32 at Tech.

Since Gailey's arrival in Atlanta, Georgia Tech has 28 ACC victories, second only to Florida State's 32, though Boston College, Miami and Virginia Tech were not in the conference all six years.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2007/11/204353