Miles would like Gundy on staff

STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) _ New Oklahoma State football coach Les Miles says he is going to take his time putting together his staff of assistant coaches. <br><br>``Timing will not go quickly. I want the

Wednesday, December 6th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) _ New Oklahoma State football coach Les Miles says he is going to take his time putting together his staff of assistant coaches.

``Timing will not go quickly. I want the very finest staff in America,'' he said Wednesday at the news conference where his hiring was announced.

One person Miles said he has already talked with, and plans to again, is Mike Gundy, who emerged as one of the candidates for the top job at OSU. Gundy is a former Oklahoma State player and assistant coach, and also has been an assistant at Baylor and Maryland.

``Mike Gundy's very important to Oklahoma State football. He's important to me as a person,'' Miles said.

Miles first got to know Gundy in 1995 after being hired as offensive coordinator for new head coach Bob Simmons. Gundy had been an assistant on Pat Jones' staff, and was retained by Simmons.

``He is a loyal, strong, quality man and a tremendous football coach,'' Miles said. ``Had they not given the job to me and had they given it to Mike Gundy, I'd have been his strongest supporter.

``He knows I would very much like to have him on this staff.''

Athletic director Terry Don Phillips said Gundy was not on Oklahoma State's original list of candidates to replace Simmons, in part because of his resume. Gundy has not been part of a winning program as an assistant, and recently was just let go with the rest of the Maryland staff.

``When we started this process, I really wasn't looking at Mike as a candidate,'' Phillips said.

But he called Gundy as a courtesy, at the behest of pro golfer and OSU alumnus Scott Verplank.

``I was calling to say why we couldn't consider him,'' Phillips said. ``About an hour later, I'm thinking, 'We need to consider Mike Gundy.' I couldn't believe it. I was on this side of the scale, and in one hour I was all the way over on this other side.''

Miles said he has taken recommendations from people he trusts, and that he also will consider coaches on the current staff.

``I want to make sure that the people will fit in a chemistry, in a staff surrounded by quality men,'' he said.