Chan Gailey, a 29-year football coaching veteran, including 13

HEAD COACH CHAN GAILEY Record At Tech: 7-6 (1 Year) Overall: 31-17 (4 Years) Chan Gailey, a 29-year football coaching veteran, including 13 seasons in the college ranks and 14 in the National Football League, was named the 11th head coach in Georgia Tech football history on Dec. 29, 2001. In his first season at the helm of the Tech program, Gailey steered the Yellow Jackets through adversity, including season-ending injuries to the team s top offensive and defensive players, to a school-record tying sixth consecutive bowl berth in the 2002 Silicon Valley Football Classic. His first Yellow Jacket edition posted a sixth straight year of seven or more wins, highlighted by an improbable victory at 8th-ranked NC State. Gailey is just the second head coach in Georgia Tech history to lead the Jackets to a bowl game in his first season, joining Bill Fulcher, who guided his 1972 Tech to the Liberty Bowl. Gailey, 51, brought to Tech a history of success at every stop in his coaching career, including three seasons as a college head coach at Troy State University and Samford University in Alabama, as well as two years as the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys and two at the helm of the Birmingham Fire of the World League of American Football. He made a name for himself as an innovative offensive mind during NFL stops in Pittsburgh, Dallas and Miami, among others. In four years as a college head coach, Gailey has compiled a record of 31-17 (.646), including a 19-5 mark in two years at Troy State and a 5-6 slate at Samford. Chan Gailey is the right fit for Georgia Tech at this time, said Tech Director of Athletics Dave Braine upon Gailey s hiring. Besides all the great qualities he possesses as a football coach, he s an even better human being. Gailey came to Tech after two seasons (2000-01) as offensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins under head coach Dave Wannstedt. How many times does a guy like myself get a chance to come to an institute like this? said Gailey on the day he was introduced. It s something that you can believe in, and when you talk to somebody you know what you re selling and you know what you re talking about. What s up here with the alumni and the people that are involved, every day I get to go to work with people that exude character and class. That s an enjoyable situation. I did ask, Do we have the ability to win a national championship? because I want to win and that s part of the process. I want to win a championship and that s why you play, that s why you line up and that s why you go out and work and lift weights in the off season, to have a chance to be the best of the best and that s one of the goals. I get a chance to come back to my home state and I get an opportunity to work in a great city and to be involved with an unbelievable institute. Gailey joined the Dolphins after spending the previous two years (1998-99) as the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. Under Gailey, the Cowboys compiled a composite regular season record of 18-14 in his two seasons, qualified for the playoffs both years, and captured the NFC Eastern Division title in 1998. In addition, the Cowboys finished in the top five in the NFL in both fewest turnovers and fewest interceptions in each of Gailey s two seasons as head coach, including a number one ranking in both categories in 1998. In Gailey s first season with the Dolphins, he helped guide a running game which amassed 1,894 yards, the most by a Dolphin team since 1984. Lamar Smith finished tenth in the AFC with 1,139 yards rushing, 16 G T F 2003

HEAD COACH the second-highest single-season total by a Dolphin, marking just the seventh time (fifth player) that a Dolphin has reached the 1,000-yard rushing plateau. In seven of the eight seasons that Gailey was either a coordinator or head coach in the NFL, he had a player attain the 1,000-yard rushing mark each time, including Jerome Bettis of the Steelers and Emmitt Smith of the Cowboys. Before joining the Cowboys in 1998, Gailey spent the previous four seasons (1994-97) with the Pittsburgh Steelers, including each of the last two as offensive coordinator. His first two years there were spent tutoring the club s wide receivers. In Gailey s four seasons with the Steelers, the team won the AFC Central Division crown each time, appeared in the AFC Championship Game on three occasions and made one trip to the Super Bowl. Pittsburgh finished second in the NFL in rushing offense in 1996, averaging 143.7 yards per game. In Gailey s final season with the Steelers, he presided over the league s top-ranked rushing team, one that amassed an average of 154.9 yards per contest. The NFL team with which Gailey coached reached postseason play each of his last eight years in the league, and 11 of his 14 seasons overall. Gailey got his start in the NFL coaching ranks as an assistant with the Denver Broncos in 1985. He served as a defensive assistant and special teams coach in his first season there before moving to the offensive side in 1986. He served two years (1986-87) as the Broncos special Laurie and Chan Gailey teams and tight ends coach prior to taking over the task as quarterbacks coach in 1988. He was promoted to offensive coordinator/receivers coach in 1989, and served two years in that position. During Gailey s six-year stay in Denver, the team finished first or second in the AFC West on five occasions and made three Super Bowl appearances. Following his tenure in Denver, Gailey was named head coach with the Birmingham Fire of the World League in 1991, and in his two seasons there, the Fire qualified for the playoffs both times. A stop as head coach at Samford University in 1993 preceded his stint with the Steelers. Gailey began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at the University of Florida in 1974, where he spent the next two years. From there, he moved on to his first full-time position, as secondary coach at Troy (Ala.) State, where he served from 1976-78. That was followed by a four-year stint (1979-82) at the Air Force Academy, the final two as defensive coordinator under Ken Hatfield. He returned to Troy State in 1983 and spent the next two seasons there as the school s head coach. He led the team to a Division II national championship in 1984. Born January 5, 1952 in Gainesville, Ga., Gailey was an all-state quarterback at Americus High School, and went on to letter three years (1971-73) as a quarterback at the University of Florida. He graduated from Florida in 1974 with a degree in physical education. Gailey and his wife, Laurie, have two sons, Tate and Andrew. G T F 2003 17

HEAD COACH WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT CHAN GAILEY Chan Gailey is the right fit for Georgia Tech at this time. Besides all the great qualities he possesses as a football coach, he s an even better human being. Dave Braine, Tech Director of Athletics It s a great choice for Tech in my opinion because Chan has all the qualities you look for in a head coach. He s been successful everywhere he s been, and he s learned under some great coaches. He s done it all. He won a national championship at Troy State and was the head coach of the Cowboys. I think he ll be great for recruiting the state of Georgia. I m happy for him because I know how much he loves this state. Dan Reeves, Head Coach, Atlanta Falcons I want to congratulate Chan on being named Head Coach at Georgia Tech. I m sure he will do a great job in continuing the long tradition of success the school s football program has enjoyed. I also know he is an outstanding coach who has been a winner on both the college and pro levels. I m confident he will be a positive influence on the student-athletes he will coach there, and the school could not have picked a finer person for the head coaching position. Dave Wannstedt, Head Coach, Miami Dolphins I think Chan is one of the best around, and I ve worked with a lot of them in different places. He s a great communicator and is great at simplifying things to let guys go out and play football. Jay Fiedler, Quarterback, Miami Dolphins Chan Gailey is a very good football coach. He is also an outstanding person. From a football perspective, he knows how to move the chains and control the tempo of a football game. He knows how to score points, and he knows how to win. Away from the field, he is a great person - about as solid a man as you are going to meet. He will have success at Georgia Tech, and I will be pulling for him. Emmitt Smith, NFL s All-Time Leading Rusher AS A HEAD COACH Year Team...Record 1983 Troy State... 7-4 1984 Troy State... 12-1 NCAA Division II National Champions 1993 Samford... 5-6 2002 Georgia Tech... 7-6 Total, College Head Coach (4 years)... 31-17 (.646) 1991 Birmingham Fire (WLAF)... 5-5 Playoffs 1992 Birmingham Fire (WLAF)... 7-2-1 Playoffs 1998 Dallas Cowboys... 10-6 NFL Playoffs/Division Champion 1999 Dallas Cowboys... 8-8 NFL Playoffs/Wild Card Total, NFL Head Coach (2 years)... 18-14 (.563) AT-A-GLANCE Full name: Thomas Chandler Gailey, Jr. Born: January 5, 1952 in Gainesville, Ga. Family: Wife Laurie; sons Tate and Andrew Education: Bachelor s degree in physical education, Florida, 1974; graduated from Americus (Ga.) High School, 1970 College playing experience: Florida, quarterback from 1971-73 (no pro playing experience) College coaching experience (13 seasons): Florida - graduate assistant, 1974-75 Troy State - defensive backs coach, 1976-78 Air Force - defensive assistant, 1979-80, defensive coordinator, 1981-82 Troy State - head coach, 1983-84 Samford - head coach, 1993 Georgia Tech - head coach, 2002-present Professional coaching experience (16 seasons): Denver Broncos - defensive assistant and special teams coach, 1985; special teams and tight ends, 1986-87; quarterbacks coach, 1988; offensive coordinator/receivers coach, 1989-90 Birmingham Fire (WLAF) - head coach, 1991-92 Pittsburgh Steelers - wide receivers coach, 1994-95; offensive coordinator, 1996-97 Dallas Cowboys - head coach, 1998-99 Miami Dolphins - offensive coordinator, 2000-01 18 G T F 2003

JOE D ALESSANDRIS Offensive Line Joe D Alessandris, who possesses a wide range of experience at the collegiate and professional levels, enters his second season as Georgia Tech s offensive line coach. D Alessandris offensive line helped the Tech rushing attack remain productive in 2002 despite numerous injuries to the Jackets tailbacks, and he coached all-atlantic Coast Conference tackle Nat Dorsey. D Alessandris came to Tech in 2002 after coaching the offensive line at Duke the last five years (1997-01). Five linemen that he coached during that time have gone on to the NFL in center Patrick Mannelly (5th round, Chicago, 1998), guard Lennie Friedman (2nd round, Denver, 1997), center Troy Andrew (free agent, Miami, 2001), Shawn Lynch (free agent, Kansas City, 2002) and John Miller (free agent, Houston, 2002). In addition, D Alessandris coached on the Gray squad at the 1999 Blue-Gray Classic. He went to Duke after serving as offensive line coach at the University of Pittsburgh in 1996, and with the Memphis Mad Dogs of the Canadian Football League in 1995. Prior to his Memphis position, he was the offensive line coach at Texas A&M in 1994, helping the Aggies to a 10-0-1 record. He has also held posts with the World League Birmingham team (1991-92) and the CFL Ottawa team (1990). A native of Aliquippa, Pa., D Alessandris, 47, was a four-year letterman and a three-year starting offensive guard at Western Carolina, where he earned a bachelor s degree in 1977 and added a master s degree in 1979. As a senior, he received the Catamounts Big Cat Award as the football team s most valuable player and served as team captain. He began his coaching career at Western Carolina as a graduate assistant before moving on to Livingston (1979-83), Memphis (1984-85) and Chattanooga (1986-89). He and his wife Toni have three daughters, Anna, Kelly,, and Emily. BUDDY GEIS Passing Game Coordinator/ Wide Receivers 1st Year at Tech Wayne Buddy Geis, formerly an assistant coach with the Dallas Cowboys, joined the Georgia Tech staff in February of 2003 as passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach. Geis reunites with Tech head coach Chan Gailey, under whom he worked in the National Football League. Geis spent three seasons with the Cowboys, coaching the Dallas quarterbacks in 1998-99 under Gailey and then directing the offensive nickel package under Dave Campo in 2000. During his stint as quarterbacks coach, the Cowboy signal callers threw only 21 interceptions in two seasons, the lowest total in the NFL during that span. In 1998, the quarterback trio of Troy Aikman, who missed five games due to injury, Jason Garrett and Mike Quinn totalled just eight interceptions, fewest in the league. The following year, Aikman and his backups were second in the NFL with just 13 interceptions, and Aikman passed for 2,964 yards despite missing two games. Before going to Dallas, Geis spent two years (1996-97) as offensive assistant and assistant quarterbacks coach with the Indianapolis Colts, where he worked with Colts quarterback Jim Harbaugh, who recorded the second-best quarterback rating of his career under Geis in 1997. Geis broke into the NFL as receivers coach for the Green Bay Packers from 1988-91 under Lindy Infante. While with the Packers, Geis tutored all-pro receiver Sterling Sharpe, who led the NFL with 90 receptions in just his second season (1989) in the league. Under Geis tutelage, Sharpe totaled 281 receptions for 4,280 yards and 23 touchdowns in four seasons. Geis also coached in the Canadian Football League, serving as offensive coordinator for the Memphis Mad Dogs in 1995 on the staff of former Tech head coach Pepper Rodgers, and in the USFL with the Jacksonville Bulls, spending two years (1984-85) on Infante s staff. Geis college coaching experience includes one year each as the offensive coordinator at Tulane (1994) and Duke (1993) and two seasons as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Memphis State (1986-87). He originally worked with Infante during his first stint with Tulane (1977-82), which followed a three-year stop at Arizona (1974-76). A native of Altoona, Pa., Geis, 56, earned his degree in health and physical education from Lock Haven University in 1972. He and his wife, Jere, have two children, Adam and Jeni. He added a master s degree in education and administration at Arizona in 1976. G T F 2003 19

BRICK HALEY Linebackers Andrea Brick Haley enters his second season as Georgia Tech s linebackers coach. Haley coached the Yellow Jackets top three tacklers in 2002, the linebacker trio of all- Atlantic Coast Conference honoree Recardo Wimbush, Daryl Smith and Keyaron Fox. Haley joined the Tech staff in February of 2002 after three seasons as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Baylor. A native of Gadsden, Ala., Haley entered the college ranks full-time as the defensive line coach at Austin Peay State from 1991-93. He became the defensive line coach at Troy State in 1994 and remained there through the 1996 season. He was named defensive coordinator after the 1996 season, but moved on to Houston to coach outside linebackers in 1997. Haley also coached outside linebackers at Clemson for one year (1998) before taking the position at Baylor. Haley, 35, graduated from Emma Sansom High School in Gadsden in 1984, and went on to play linebacker for the football team at Alabama A&M, where he earned a bachelor s degree in physical education with a minor on telecommunications in 1989. After remaining at Alabama A&M as a student assistant coach for spring practice, Haley became an assistant coach at Enterprise (Ala.) High School, coaching tight ends, in 1989. He took a graduate assistant position at the University of Arkansas, working with the defensive line in 1990, before earning his first full-time position at Austin Peay State the following year. Haley is married to the former Tina DeLaine, and the couple has one son, A.J. CURTIS MODKINS Running Backs C urtis Modkins begins his first year as Georgia Tech s running backs coach and his second year on the Tech staff after working with defensive backs last fall. Modkins coached Tech s only first-team all-atlantic Coast Conference honoree in 2002, free safety Jeremy Muyres. Modkins joined head coach Chan Gailey s staff in January of 2002 after four seasons as cornerbacks coach at the University of New Mexico. In 2001, Modkins cornerbacks helped New Mexico rank 18th in the nation in total defense and haul in 15 total interceptions, and senior Stephen Persely was named to the all-mountain West Conference team with six interceptions. From 1998 to 2000, UNM s passing yardage allowed declined each year. In 1999, Modkins served a summer internship with the Dallas Cowboys, whose head coach at the time was Chan Gailey. Modkins went to New Mexico from Texas Christian University, where he was a graduate assistant for one year (1995) and a full-time assistant coach for two years (1996-97). Modkins was a three-year starter at running back at TCU, where he rushed for 2,763 yards and caught 54 passes during his career. He was a second team all-southwest Conference selection in 1992 and ranked third on the Horned Frogs career rushing list at the end of his career. Upon the completion of his playing career, Modkins served for three years on Pat Sullivan s staff. He was a graduate assistant in 1995, the secondary coach in 1996 and the tight ends coach in 1997 before moving to New Mexico. Modkins received his bachelor s degree in criminal justice from TCU in 1993 and then earned his M.L.A. degree from TCU in 1997. Modkins is married to the former Kristi Ford, and the couple has a son, Jett, age 6, and a daughter, Mariah, 2. 20 G T F 2003

PATRICK NIX Running Game Coordinator / Quarterbacks Entering his second season at Georgia Tech, Patrick Nix will serve as the running game coordinator while coaching the quarterbacks, his former position as a player. Last fall, Nix was Tech s running backs coach and recruiting coordinator. He helped the offensive backfield overcome the season-ending injuries to its top three tailbacks, including standout Tony Hollings, the nation s leading rusher after four games. Nix came to Tech in 2002 after one year as wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator at Samford University. Prior to his one season at Samford, Nix was the head coach at Henderson State University, an NCAA Division II school in Arkadelphia, Ark., for two years (1999-2000). Under Nix, the HSU offense set 18 school records, four Gulf South Conference records and three national records. Nix began his coaching career with a three-year stint at Jacksonville State University, serving as running backs coach in 1996 and as quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator in 1998. He helped the Gamecocks improve from 1-10 in 1997 to 7-4 in 1998. A native of Attalla, Ala., Nix was a standout quarterback at Auburn University, where as a sophomore he was part of the Tigers 1993 squad that posted a perfect 11-0 record. In 1995, as captain and starting quarterback, he led Auburn to an 8-4 record and received the team s Pat Sullivan Award for Offensive Player of the Year as well as the Cliff Hare Award as the school s Student-Athlete of the Year. He finished his playing days as the Tigers career passing efficiency leader and ranked among the top five in school history in numerous other statistical categories. Nix, who earned a bachelor s degree in secondary education from Auburn in 1995, is married to the former Krista Chapman, and the couple has three children, Emma, Bo, and???. TOMMIE ROBINSON Tight Ends In his second season at Georgia Tech, Tommie Robinson will coach the Rambling Wreck tight ends after working with wide receivers last season. Robinson came to Tech in 2002, reuniting with Tech head coach Chan Gailey, for whom he played at Troy State and worked as an assistant coach with the Dallas Cowboys. Last fall, Robinson worked with standout receivers Kerry Watkins and Will Glover, who both finished among the top five receivers in Georgia Tech history. Watkins earned all-acc honors. Robinson, 38, spent the 2001 season as the running backs coach at Oklahoma State after serving three years as an offensive assistant with the NFL s Cowboys, working with wide receivers and special teams. Prior to his time in Dallas, Robinson spent four seasons at TCU (1994-97) and two at Utah State (1992-93) as a full-time assistant following a stint as a graduate assistant coach at Arkansas. Robinson, 38, has served NFL coaching internships at New Orleans, St. Louis and Dallas. A native of Phenix City, Ala., Robinson played for Gailey at Troy State, where he was a part of the 1984 Division II national champions. He was a three-year starter as a strong safety for the Trojans and earned a bachelor s degree in criminal justice in 1985. After pursuing professional football, he coached on the high school level, including four years (1987-90) at his alma mater, Central High in Phenix City, Ala. He and his wife Lartonyar, have three children, Dontrell, Tawanda and Trey. G T F 2003 21

GLENN SPENCER Defensive Line 3rd Year at Tech In his third season as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Glenn Spencer moved to defense in 2002 and now coaches Georgia Tech s defensive line after one year as the Rambling Wreck s running backs coach. In 2001, Spencer worked with a very young defensive front that started two freshmen and two sophomores and remained productive despite the loss of its top player, all-america defensive end Greg Gathers. As Tech s running backs coach in 2001, Spencer tutored all-atlantic Coast Conference tailback Joe Burns, who became just the fifth 1,000- yard rusher in Georgia Tech history and is now with the NFL s Buffalo Bills. Spencer returned to Tech in 2001 after 11 years at West Georgia, including a very successful three-year stint as head coach. He compiled a 28-7 record from 1998-2000, including two Gulf South Conference titles and two appearances in the NCAA Division II playoffs. With an.800 winning percentage, he left as the winningest coach in Gulf South Conference history. In 1998 Spencer was named the NCAA Division II Regional Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association after guiding the Braves to a 10-2 record, the conference championship and a playoff berth in his first season as head coach. West Georgia also posted a 10-2 record in 2000, following an 8-3 mark in 1999. Spencer began his coaching career in 1990, when he was hired as an assistant coach at West Georgia. Spencer coached the Braves defensive line and linebackers for seven seasons and then was promoted to defensive coordinator in 1997, when he helped the Braves to a share of the school s first Gulf South Conference title as his defense allowed fewer points than any team in West Georgia history. Spencer, 37, lettered four years as a defensive tackle for the Rambling Wreck, including Tech s 1985 All-American Bowl season, when he was a member of the Black Watch defense. A native of Douglasville, Ga., Spencer was a prep standout at Lithia Springs High School. He earned his bachelor s degree in Management from Georgia Tech in 1987. Spencer and his wife, the former Angela Folds of Carrollton, Ga., have two sons, Luke, 7, and Abraham, 4. JON TENUTA Defensive Coordinator / Defensive Backs E ntering his second season as Georgia Tech s defensive coordinator, Jon Tenuta has brought to the Rambling Wreck an aggressive, attacking scheme, forged in his 23 years of experience as a defensive coach. This season, Tenuta will also coach Tech s defensive backs. Two Tech defenders earned all-acc honors in 2002 in free safety Jeremy Muyres and linebacker Recardo Wimbush. Tenuta came to Tech in 2002 after one season at North Carolina, which he guided to become the top-rated defense statistically in the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2001. Under Tenuta, the Tar Heels led the ACC in total defense and pass defense while ranking third in run defense and scoring defense. Tenuta has previously served as a defensive coordinator at five other schools, including Marshall (1987), Kansas State (1988), SMU (1990-94), Ohio State (2000) and North Carolina (2001). Tenuta has helped develop several defensive backs into NFL players, including first-round draft picks Shawn Springs, Antoine Winfield, Ahmed Plummer and Nate Clements from Ohio State. Springs was the 1996 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and a first-team all-america, while Winfield won the 1998 Jim Thorpe Award. Ohio State s pass defense was consistently ranked among the nation s best during Tenuta s tenure. The Buckeyes were ranked in the top three in pass efficiency defense in three of his six seasons. Tenuta, 45, began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Virginia (1981-82), and was an assistant coach at Maryland (1983), Vanderbilt (1984-85), Marshall (1986-87), Kansas State (1988), SMU (1989-94) and Oklahoma (1995). At SMU, Tenuta was the defensive backs coach in 1989 before being promoted to defensive coordinator in 1990. At Ohio State, he was the defensive backs coach from 1996-1999 before being elevated to the defensive coordinator post in 2000. A native of Columbus, Ohio, Tenuta graduated from Virginia in 1982. He lettered three years as a defensive back for the Cavaliers and earned the team s John Acree Memorial Football Trophy for leadership, service and spirit during his senior season. Tenuta and his wife Dori have three sons, Zach, Matt and Luke. 22 G T F 2003

DAVID WILSON Special Teams / Recruiting Coordinator David Wilson is in his second year at Georgia Tech but his first on the coaching on the coaching staff as a special teams coach and recruiting coordinator. Wilson came to Tech in 2002 and spent one year as the Yellow Jackets Director of Football Operations before moving to a coaching position. Wilson joined the Tech staff after five years at Mississippi State, including the last year as the Bulldogs Coordinator of Football Operations. He also spent two years (1999-00) as Mississippi State s tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator and two years (1997-98) as administrative assistant after arriving in Starkville in 1997. During his time there, the Bulldogs won the Southeastern Conference West title in 1998 and played in three bowl games. Wilson, 52, served two one-year stints at Florida State in 1996 and 1992. The Seminoles finished 11-1 and ranked second in the nation both seasons he was on the staff, participating in the 1993 Orange Bowl and the 1997 Sugar Bowl. Wilson has also made coaching stops at Nicholls State, where he served as assistant head coach and recruiting coordinator in 1993, and at Troy State, where he was the running backs coach and recruiting coordinator from 1983-85. He spent two years as the head coach at Pensacola (Fla.) High School in 1994-95 and was an assistant coach on the high school level in Florida from 1986-91. A native of Atlanta who attended Albany (Ga.) High School, Wilson played football at Troy State from 1974-77. He is married to the former Tammy Groce, and the couple has a daughter, Holly, and a son, Austin. BUTCH BROOKS Director of Football Operations 6th Year at Tech B utch Brooks, a member of the Georgia Tech athletics staff since 1998, was named director of football operations in February of 2003. Brooks, 56, came to Tech in 1998 as director of high school relations after spending 18 years as head football coach, athletics director and head golf coach at Washington-Wilkes High School in Washington, Ga. During that time he compiled a football record of 144-55, a.723 winning percentage, earning berths in the state football playoffs in 13 of his last 17 seasons at Washington-Wilkes. In 1985, he was named the Atlanta Touchdown Club AA Coach of the Year, and in both 1991 and 1997, he was named the state AA Athletic Director of the Year. During his time at Washington-Wilkes he coached the football team to six region championships and four appearances in the state championships while leading his golf teams to eight region titles. Prior to his tenure at Washington-Wilkes, Brooks spent nine years (1971-80) as an assistant football coach and six years (1974-80) as head baseball coach at Valdosta High School. While head of Valdosta s baseball program, he was named coach of the year in Georgia in 1977 and 1978 and led the team to four regional championships and the state AAA title in 1978. His overall baseball coaching record was 127-33, a.793 winning percentage. Brooks is a native of Whiteville, N.C. and is a 1972 graduate of Valdosta State University, where he later earned a master s in Administration and Supervision. He is married to the former Kathy Zelenka of Pascagoula, Miss., and the couple has three children, Rookie Gage, Farrah Gage, and Laura Norton, and three grandchildren. G T F 2003 23