Gailey, Georgia Tech Talking

Chan Gailey reportedly will be Georgia Tech’s new football coach, but the school denied those reports while acknowledging it still is negotiating with the Miami Dolphin offensive coordinator.

Athletic Director Dave Braine denied reports Gailey already had been hired and said a new coach won’t be introduced until after Georgia Tech, under interim Coach Mac McWhorter, plays Stanford in the inaugural Seattle Bowl on Thursday.

ESPN said Tuesday that Gailey, the former Dallas Cowboy head coach, already had accepted the job. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported on its Web site late Tuesday that Georgia Tech intends to introduce Gailey as its new coach on Saturday.

Braine declined to say if an announcement was expected after Thursday’s game, but said, “We’re coming home right after the game.”

The Telegraph in Macon cited unidentified sources close to Georgia Tech’s athletic department in Tuesday’s editions that Gailey was close to a deal to succeed George O’Leary.

The Dolphins, fighting for an NFL playoff spot, play the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.

Gailey, a native of Gainesville, Ga., grew up in Americus. He declined comment on the report Monday and did not immediately return a call Tuesday.