Big House Gaines is dead at age 81
April 19, 2005
By John Dell
WINSTON-SALEM JOURNAL REPORTER
Clarence "Big House" Gaines, the legendary former
basketball coach at Winston-Salem State, has died.
Winston-Salem Journal Photo
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Clarence Gaines |
Gaines, 81, died after suffering complications from a stroke
he suffered over the weekend, according to Coach Dave Robbins
of Virginia Union.
"I've heard about Coach Gaines passing, and I'm deeply
saddened," said Robbins, who coached against Gaines and
also became a friend over the years.
"I just talked with him at the Final Four, and we had
a lot of laughs about some things, but I'm so sorry to hear.
He was more than just a basketball coach. He was somebody who
I trusted very much and could talk to anytime I needed to."
Gaines, who coached basketball at Winston-Salem State for
47 years, compiled a record of 828-447 before retiring after
the 1992-93 season. He also guided the school to the Division
II national championship in 1966-67 as the Rams went 31-1 and
were led by Earl "The Pearl" Monroe.
Tim Grant, a former player and an assistant coach under Gaines,
heard the news last night around 10:30.
"What I think about with Coach is all the people he impacted
through the years," Grant said as he fought back tears. "And
you are talking nearly 50 years worth. Coach was a little bit
of something to everybody; he was a father, a coach and to
somebody like me he was there to guide me through a lot."
Grant, who played for Gaines from 1976 to 1980, was also an
assistant coach at WSSU from 1981 through 1993.
Late last night, Grant said that the phone lines were busy
with players from different generations calling each other
to console, talk and mostly rehash their times with Gaines.
"I talked with Teddy Blount, and we are just a part of
a fraternity and being in touch with a lot of those guys is
something that will help us all get through this," Grant
said.
Grant said that Gaines had to be rushed to the hospital twice
over the weekend and that from what he understood, Gaines had
suffered a stroke.
While Gaines had his share of health problems through the
years, he continued to lead an active life. He and his wife,
Clara, delivered meals to shut-ins, and Gaines was very active
in the Rotary Club as well as traveling to see his two children
and their grandchildren.
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