Clarence E. "Big House" Gaines, Sr. was born in Paducah, Kentucky, May 21, 1923, to Lester and Olivia Bolen Gaines. He attended the public schools of Paducah and graduated in 1941, as class salutatorian, from Paducah's Lincoln High School. He excelled ademically, played basketball, was an All State football player, and played trumpet in the school band.

Although he qualified academically to attend numerous colleges and universities "Jim Crow" segregation and a suggestion by the family physician (a schoolmate of legendary Morgan State University football coach, Eddie Hurt) caused young Gaines to enroll at Morgan State University in 1941. It was upon his arrival at the Baltimore, Maryland campus that Gaines received the nickname he is widely known by -- "Big House." According to oral accounts the school's business manager took one look at the 6' 3", 265 lbs. Gaines and declared: "Boy, I never seen anything bigger than you but a house."

While at Morgan State Gaines received recognition as an All-American football player and participated on the basketball and track teams. Gaines graduated from Morgan State in 1945 with a B.S. degree in Chemistry intent on furthering his education and attending dental school. His college coach, Eddie Hurt, recommended he temporarily go to Winston-Salem Teachers College in Winston-Salem, NC, to become the assistant coach to Brutus Wilson (a Morgan State graduate) who coached all sports at the small southern college.

Upon his retirement as basketball coach at Winston-Salem State University in 1993, Gaines had amassed a win/loss record of 828-446, making him the winningest active basketball coach in NCAA history, and the second winningest collegiate basketball coach behind the University of Kentucky's late Adolph Rupp. However, following University of North Carolina basketball coach Dean Smith's 877th career win in March 1997, coach Gaines became the third winningest basketball coach in NCAA history behind only Adolph Rupp (2nd), and Dean Smith (1st). The past two seasons, Gaines was again surpassed by longtime friend Jim Phelan of Mt. St. Mary¹s University (formerly Mt. St. Mary¹s College the name change took place on June 8th, 2004), placing him fourth all-time in wins in NCAA Basketball history before Bobby Knight passed both Phelan and Gaines in 2005, moving "Big House" to fifth-place all-time.

In 2004 Gaines wrote (with Clint Johnson) a memoir, The Call Me Big House, which was published by John F. Blair Publisher.

Clarence Gaines passed away on April 18, 2005 due to complications from a stroke. He is survived by his lovely wife Clara and two children, Lisa and Clarence, Jr. Gaines' legacy at Winston-Salem State University and in the college basketball world are surely to never be
forgotten.

Clarence E. Gaines was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach in 1982. 
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