Clarence Edward "Big House" Gaines, Sr. was born in Paducah, Kentucky on May 21, 1923. He spent his early life in Paducah and graduated from Lincoln High School in 1941 as class salutatorian. During these early years, Gaines, Sr. performed well academically and also played basketball, earning All State recognition. He also played in the school band.
Gaines’ academic performance was significant enough to allow him to qualify to many different colleges and universities, but Jim Crow segregation pushed him towards attending Morgan State University, where he received the nickname “Big House.” At Morgan State University, he received a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Chemistry in pursuit of a career in dentistry. He also participated sports such as in football (he received All-American recognition in football twice), basketball, and track at Morgan State University.
At the end of his undergraduate education, he was offered a job as assistant coach to Brutus Wilson (a Morgan State graduate) at Winston-Salem Teachers College in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Wilson left the next year to coach another team, so Gaines became the head football coach, head basketball coach, and athletic director at Winston-Salem. He coached football here from 1946-1949, and continued to coach just basketball after that. Gaines remained at Winston-Salem State University as the Men’s Basketball Coach until 1993 (47 years), when he retired. Over that tenure, he received many awards and was involved in many professional and civic activities.
Gaines’ academic performance was significant enough to allow him to qualify to many different colleges and universities, but Jim Crow segregation pushed him towards attending Morgan State University, where he received the nickname “Big House.” At Morgan State University, he received a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Chemistry in pursuit of a career in dentistry. He also participated sports such as in football (he received All-American recognition in football twice), basketball, and track at Morgan State University.
At the end of his undergraduate education, he was offered a job as assistant coach to Brutus Wilson (a Morgan State graduate) at Winston-Salem Teachers College in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Wilson left the next year to coach another team, so Gaines became the head football coach, head basketball coach, and athletic director at Winston-Salem. He coached football here from 1946-1949, and continued to coach just basketball after that. Gaines remained at Winston-Salem State University as the Men’s Basketball Coach until 1993 (47 years), when he retired. Over that tenure, he received many awards and was involved in many professional and civic activities.
He earned his Master’s Degree in education from Columbia University in 1950, the same year he married his wife Clara Berry, who was a Latin teacher in the Winston-Salem public school system. They now have two children: Lisa Gaines McDonald, who is a private business consultant, and Clarence Edward Gaines, Jr., a scout for the Chicago Bulls (NBA).
Gaines passed away on April 18, 2005 from a stroke in Winston-Salem North Carolina. A large memorial was held at the University on April 22, 2005. On that same day, all classes were cancelled in order to honor Gaines. Although he has passed, he has left a legacy at Winston-Salem State University and for the entirety of collegiate basketball.