UNDER THE BANNER
What's Going On In and Around Black College Sports
A LEGEND IS GONE: Clarence "Big House" Gaines, who spent 47 years as head basketball coach at Winston-Salem State University paving the way for countless players and coaches, died Monday evening apparently following complications from a stroke. Gaines, 81, was taken to the hospital on Friday with heart problems but was released on Saturday. He was readmitted to the hospital on Sunday. Gaines won 828 basketball games during his coaching career, the most ever for a black college coach and fifth best all-time in college coaching annals. He also coached boxing, track and football and served as athletic director during his time at WSSU. He won eight (8) CIAA basketball tournament titles and four (4) visitation crowns. He was the first black coach and led the first black college team to win an NCAA national championship, taking the 1967 Small College title with a team that finished 31-1 and was led by 41.9 point-per-game scorer, Earl 'The Pearl" Monroe, who later went on to a Hall of Fame career in the NBA. The Rams defeated Southwest Missouri State, 77-74, for the national title. Visitation for Coach Gaines will be held Friday, April 22 from 12 noon to 2 p.m., at Kenneth R. Williams Auditorium on the campus of WSSU. The funeral will follow at 2 p.m. A reception in honor of Coach Gaines will be held immediately following the service at the Thompson Center on campus. Flowers can be sent to Russell Funeral Home with a physical address of 822 Carl Russell Avenue, Winston-Salem, NC 27101. For delivery arrangements or general inquiries, contact Russell Funeral home at (336) 722-3459. For additional information as it becomes available, contact the WSSU Office of Sports Information at (336) 750-2143 or log on to the Official Website of WSSU Athletics at www.WSSURAMS.com.
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