Smokey Gaines
Personal information
Born(1940-02-27)February 27, 1940
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
DiedSeptember 5, 2020(2020-09-05) (aged 80)
Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Listed weight170 lb (77 kg)
Career information
High schoolNortheastern (Detroit, Michigan)
CollegeLeMoyne–Owen (1959–1963)
NBA draft1963: undrafted
PositionShooting guard
Number32
Career history
As player:
1967Kentucky Colonels
As coach:
1973–1977Detroit (assistant)
1977–1979Detroit
1979–1987San Diego State
Career highlights and awards
As player:

As coach:

Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

David "Smokey" Gaines (February 27, 1940[lower-alpha 1] – September 5, 2020) was an American basketball player and coach.

Playing career

He played professionally for three games for the Kentucky Colonels during the 1967–68 American Basketball Association season after a four-year stint with the Harlem Globetrotters. Gaines attended LeMoyne-Owen College from 1959 to 1963 where he was the first player to have his number retired.[3][4]

Coaching career

After his playing days Gaines became a men's college basketball coach, serving as head coach for the Detroit Mercy and San Diego State Aztecs. He replaced Dick Vitale at the former school, and coached Michael Cage and future Baseball Hall-of-Famer Tony Gwynn at the latter. He compiled a 112–117 record in eight seasons at San Diego State University (SDSU) and became the first black head coach in NCAA Division I in California. He was named the coach of the year of the Western Athletic Conference in 1984–85, when the Aztecs went 24–8 and qualified for the NCAA tournament.[5] Gaines was named athletic director for the Memphis City Schools in 2008, after coaching and serving as the athletic director at LeMoyne-Owen.[6]

Coaching Record

Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Detroit Titans (Independent) (1977–1979)
1977–78 Detroit 25–4NIT Quarterfinals
1978–79 Detroit 22–6NCAA Division I first round
Detroit Mercy: 47–10 (.825)
San Diego State Aztecs (Western Athletic Conference) (1979–1987)
1979–80 San Diego State 6–213–11T–7th
1980–81 San Diego State 15–128–85th
1981–82 San Diego State 20–911–52ndNIT first round
1982–83 San Diego State 18–108–8T–5th
1983–84 San Diego State 15–136–10T–6th
1984–85 San Diego State 23–811–52ndNCAA Division I first round
1985–86 San Diego State 10–197–96th
1986–87 San Diego State 5–252–14T–8th
San Diego State: 112–117 (.489)56–70 (.444)
Total:159–127 (.556)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

Death

Gaines died on September 5, 2020, from cancer. He has also contracted COVID-19 in the time leading up to his death.[7][8]

Notes

  1. ↑ Sources conflict on Gaines' birth year. His obituary has 1942[1] but a post by his family uses 1940.[2]

References

  1. ↑ Crowther, Linnea (September 8, 2020). "David Gaines obituary". Legacy.com. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
  2. ↑ Zeigler, Mark (September 5, 2020). "Former Aztecs basketball coach Smokey Gaines dies". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
  3. ↑ Davis, Terry (September 10, 2020). "At every level, David 'Smokey' Gaines made an impact". Tri-State Defender. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
  4. ↑ "Legends". Harlem Globetrotters. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
  5. ↑ Zeigler, Mark (September 5, 2020). "Smokey Gaines, first Black Division I basketball coach in California, dies". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 6, 2020.
  6. ↑ McClure, Jesse F. (July 30, 2008). "New Memphis City Schools A.D. says 'It's all about the kids'". Tri-State Defender. Archived from the original on March 6, 2012.
  7. ↑ "David 'Smokey' Gaines, Detroit Mercy's first Black coach, Harlem Globetrotter alum, dies at 80".
  8. ↑ McCarty, Andrew (September 5, 2020). "Former College Basketball Coach Has Passed Away". thespun.com. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
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