Legendary college basketball coach Clarence "Big House" Gaines, who spent 47 seasons at Winston-Salem State University, died from complications of a stroke April 18. He was 81.

During his coaching career, Gaines totaled 828 victories, which ranks fifth all-time in men's basketball. Only former coaches Dean Smith (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill), Adolph Rupp (University of Kentucky), Jim Phelan (Mount St. Mary's College) and Bob Knight, the current Texas Tech University coach, won more games than Gaines.

He retired from coaching in 1993 as the winningest active basketball coach at the time. One of the highlights of his coaching career came in 1967 when he guided Winston-Salem State to the NCAA College Division championship, becoming the first historically black institution to win a national title. Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame guard Earl "The Pearl" Monroe was the top player on that team.

Gaines was inducted into the basketball hall of fame in 1982.

He was born in Paducah, Kentucky, in 1923 and was the salutatorian for the 1941 graduating class at Lincoln High School.

Gaines went on to play football at Morgan State University and graduated in 1945 with a degree in chemistry. His days at Morgan State also were the origin of his nickname. A campus worker told the 6-5, 265-pound freshman lineman, "The only thing I've seen as big as you is a house."

Gaines, who had thoughts of becoming a dentist before making his undeniable mark in intercollegiate athletics, began his coaching career at Winston-Salem State in 1946. He also coached the football team and was the athletics director and ticket manager at the institution as well.

In 1948, Gaines coached the football team to an 8-1 record and was named the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association football coach of the year. During his tenure, he was named CIAA basketball coach of the year six times and was inducted into the CIAA Hall of Fame in 1975 and into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 1978.

Winston-Salem State won eight CIAA championships and amassed 18 20-win seasons under Gaines' tutelage. His teams, which went 828-447 (.649), were known for their up-tempo, fast-break style of play.

Winston-Salem State's athletics building, the C. E. Gaines left, is named for him.

Gaines also was known for his community activities that included being the co-founder of the Winston-Salem Youth Baseball League in 1960, and serving on several boards, including the Patterson Avenue YMCA and the Experiment in Self Reliance.

Gaines was president of the National Basketball Coaches Association in 1989.