Georgia Tech coach forced to sit in golf cart
Updated: March 18, 2005, 10:57 PM ET
Associated Press
ATLANTA -- Chan Gailey doesn't know how long doctors will require him to sit in a golf cart while his Georgia Tech football team practices.
Four days after suffering a heart attack, Gailey only cared about returning to the field as the Yellow Jackets continued spring practice.
"It's great to be back out here, considering the alternatives of where I could be," Gailey said Friday. "I'm very fortunate and very blessed to be able to be back on the field and coaching. I've got to take it easy."
The 53-year-old Gailey had no history of heart problems until he felt pain in his chest and left arm while playing racquetball at the campus recreation center.
Driven quickly to nearby Piedmont Hospital, Gailey learned he was having a heart attack as he lay in intensive care. An angioplasty was necessary to clear a blocked artery.
Gailey was moved out of intensive care Tuesday and returned home Thursday.
"It's been very humbling to hear from as many people as I've heard from and to have the players ask, it's just been amazing," Gailey said. "I'm deeply, deeply grateful for all of the well-wishes and people just trying to get in contact with me."
Though he was cleared to watch the afternoon workout, Gailey said afterward that his cardiologist insisted that resting is more important than involving himself too much with spring practice.
"Well, I've never been a yeller and a screamer anyway, but at the same time I think that I'm going to have to take it easy here for the first couple of practices," Gailey said. "But we get spring break next week so hopefully I'll be back going the week after that."
Assistant coach Buddy Geis has overseen practice since the Yellow Jackets began spring drills Monday. Coordinators Jon Tenuta and Patrick Nix continued to run the respective defensive and offensive players through the full-pads workout.
Gailey acknowledged having to check his emotions several times and restrain himself from calling out.
"Yeah, it was hard sitting in that cart today," Gailey said. "I have to ask my doctor about that. It's doctor's orders, so I have to do that for a while -- it's probably a good thing."
One phone call he received that particularly lifted his spirits came from formerAtlanta Falcons coach Dan Reeves, who underwent quadruple bypass surgery in the final month of the 1998 regular season. Reeves returned to coach the Falcons' narrow playoff victory over the San Francisco 49ers a few weeks later.
"We're friends," Gailey said. "We've been close through the years. I haven't talked to him as much lately as I would have liked. We were very close for many years."
The Yellow Jackets went 7-5 last season, which ended with a blowout victory over Syracuse in the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando, Fla.
Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press
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