March 14, 2005

By PAUL NEWBERRY
AP Sports Writer

ATLANTA (AP) - Georgia Tech football coach Chan Gailey suffered a heart attack Monday while playing racquetball at the campus recreation center.

Gailey was taken to Piedmont Hospital after experiencing chest pains. He underwent a balloon angioplasty, a procedure that is used to clear a blocked artery, spokeswoman Allison George said.

"He's expected to be in the hospital three or four days," she said. "He will make a complete recovery."

George was not aware of Gailey having any previous heart problems. The coach turned 53 in January.

Gailey did not want the school to release any information about the extent of his blockage or how many arteries were affected.

Gailey, entering his fourth season as Georgia Tech's coach, has a record of 21-17 and has guided the Yellow Jackets to three straight bowl appearances, extending the school-record streak to eight years in a row.

This is considered a critical year for Gailey, who has been criticized for failing to match the success of his predecessor, George O'Leary. The Yellow Jackets have yet to win more than seven games in a season after eclipsing that total during the last four years of O'Leary's tenure.

Georgia Tech began spring practice last week with much of the attention focused on the quarterback position, where junior-to-be Reggie Ball is fighting to keep his job.

Gailey previously coached the Dallas Cowboys for two seasons, leading the team to an NFC East championship and consecutive playoff appearances. Despite that success, he was fired by owner Jerry Jones.

Gailey also worked as an assistant with the Denver Broncos, Pittsburgh Steelers and Miami Dolphins. He was a head coach at Samford and Troy State and served a one-year stint in the same position with the Birmingham Fire of the ill-fated World League of American Football.