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--> --> Georgia Tech picks Chan Gailey to replace O'Leary ATLANTA (AP) - Chan Gailey was hired Saturday as football coach at Georgia Tech, which is looking to get past the embarrassing revelations that George O'Leary lied about his background. Gailey, offensive coordinator of the Miami Dolphins, is a former head coach at Dallas who led the Cowboys to the playoffs two straight years. He received a five-year guaranteed contract that will pay him $900,000 this season, with bonuses that could raise his salary to more than $1.2 million annually. The deal also includes a 4 percent raise each year but no buyout clause that would prevent him from taking another job. Athletic director Dave Braine described Gailey as a quiet man who exudes confidence. He likened him to Bobby Dodd, who won 165 games during a 22-year coaching career at Georgia Tech. "I told him it was important to be like that," Braine said. "Obviously, he's not coach Dodd, but he's an awful lot like him." "I can't believe you mentioned me in the same sentence with Bobby Dodd," Gailey told Braine. "I've got to earn that. Hopefully, I will." Gailey succeeds a coach who guided the Yellow Jackets to five straight bowl appearances, then left Dec. 9 to take his dream job at Notre Dame. Five days later, O'Leary was forced to resign after athletic and academic discrepancies on his resume came to light. Georgia Tech never considered taking back O'Leary. Instead, the Yellow Jackets turned to Gailey, a coach with a proven record at the pro and college level. Gailey made a quick trip to Atlanta for a morning news conference, then flew back to Florida. He will remain with the Dolphins for the rest of the season, which includes two more regular-season games and probably the playoffs. Miami can clinch a postseason spot by beating the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. He'll fly back-and-forth to Atlanta on weekends for recruiting visits but will devote most of his attention to the Dolphins until their season ends. Braine said the buyout clause for another job was one of the first issues he raised with Gailey, who insisted he was at Georgia Tech for the long haul. "Obviously, when you're a high-profile offensive coordinator in the NFL, you wonder if a guy is going take the next NFL job that comes along," Braine said. "He said he would not. That was good enough for us." Gailey has bounced around a lot during his 26-year coaching career, working for three colleges and five professional teams. But he said he plans to settle down in his native state. Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing