Athletic director Dan Radakovich made the announcement after a morning meeting with Gailey. Defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta will take over as interim coach for an expected trip to the Emerald or Humanitarian Bowl, and he will be a candidate for the job permanently.
The move was widely expected after Georgia Tech (7-5) came up far short of another run at the Atlantic Coast Conference championship one year after winning its division. Also, Gailey never beat the school's biggest rival, dropping to 0-6 with a 31-17 loss to the Bulldogs on Saturday.
``Nobody likes to get fired,'' said Gailey, a former head coach with the NFL's Dallas Cowboys. ``But all they can take is your job. They can't take your pay. They can't take your family. They can't take your integrity.''
Gailey's overall record was 44-32 in six seasons, and he never lost less than five games in a year. Radakovich said the latest loss to Georgia did not influence his decision; he already had decided to make a change.
``We've been very consistent with wins and losses,'' said Radakovich, who's in his second year as AD and inherited Gailey from the previous regime. ``I want to be able to ratchet that up, take the next step.''
Radakovich said business considerations were as much as part of his decision as wins and losses. The 55-year-old Gailey had lost support among the fan base, which made fundraising more difficult, and he wasn't the sort of dynamic personality who could help the Yellow Jackets make a name in the crowded Atlanta sports scene.
``Obviously, he didn't agree with the decision, but he understood there's a business aspect to this,'' Radakovich said. ``As far as Xs and Os, Chan is a very good coach. But there's more to it now. College football is more than just Xs and Os, especially in the competitive market where we are.''
Navy coach Paul Johnson, who previously coached at Georgia Southern, could be a popular choice as Gailey's successor. Florida State offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher is likely to be a candidate for several coaching jobs that have opened up. Tenuta wants a shot at his first head coaching position.
``Every guy who becomes an assistant coach wants a chance to sit in that big chair,'' said Tenuta, who came to Georgia Tech as part of Gailey's original staff and has consistently produced one of the nation's higher-rated defenses.
Throughout the season, Radakovich steadfastly declined to give Gailey a vote of confidence, merely saying he would evaluate the program after the season. The players suspected something was up when they received a text message to attend a meeting at the football complex.
``In a sense, the players do feel a responsibility,'' quarterback Taylor Bennett said. ``I'm sure if we had been 10-2 or 11-1, this wouldn't have happened.''
Gailey's downfall actually began at the end of last season, when Georgia Tech dropped its final three games all by a field goal after winning the Coastal Division. That stretch included losses to Georgia in the regular-season finale, Wake Forest in the ACC championship game and West Virginia in the Gator Bowl.
Gailey has four years left on his contract at $1 million annually, and Georgia Tech intends to honor the contract. There was some speculation that the financially strapped athletic program would be reluctant to buy out the coach, but Radakovich clearly decided it would be more damaging to offend the big-money boosters by keeping Gailey.
The fans grew more and more impatient, which was evident in the closing minutes of a 27-3 loss to Virginia Tech. When the coach was shown on the video board delivering a public service announcement, the crowd at Bobby Dodd Stadium booed loudly.
Gailey was hired by the Yellow Jackets in January 2002 after George O'Leary left to take the coaching job at Notre Dame, then was hastily dismissed by the Fighting Irish because of inaccuracies in his resume.
Under O'Leary, the Yellow Jackets were a high-scoring team that beat Georgia three years in a row from 1998-2000, a streak that hastened the firing of Bulldogs coach Jim Donnan.
Mark Richt took over at Georgia in 2001 and quickly turned things around, handing O'Leary a loss in his final game at Georgia Tech. While the Bulldogs quickly rose to prominence, winning two Southeastern Conference titles and putting themselves in position for a major bowl this season, the Yellow Jackets languished in mediocrity.
Gailey had a pair of 7-6 seasons and went 7-5 three other times. The only break in that troubling trend was 2006, when the Yellow Jackets went 7-1 in the ACC and 9-5 overall.
After his success last season, Gailey was mentioned as a possible candidate for NFL coaching jobs in Pittsburgh and Miami, two teams for which he served as offensive coordinator. He stayed at Georgia Tech, but his flirtation with the pros further damaged his standing with Georgia Tech fans.
Still, Gailey sounded a bit miffed about being fired from two jobs without having a losing season.
``I'm not sure if there's any coaches out there,'' he said, ``who went to the playoffs two years and got fired, then went to a bowl six straight years and got fired.''
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Chan Gailey
Chan Gailey
http://accesswdun.com/article/2007/11/204356