Smokey Gaines
Appearance
Personal information | |
---|---|
Born | undrafted | February 27, 1940
Position | Shooting guard |
Number | 32 |
Career history | |
As player: | |
1967 | Kentucky Colonels |
As coach: | |
1973–1977 | Detroit (assistant) |
1977–1979 | Detroit |
1979–1987 | San Diego State |
Career highlights and awards | |
As player:
As coach:
| |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
David "Smokey" Gaines (February 27, 1940[a] – September 5, 2020) was an American basketball player and coach.
Playing career
He played professionally for three games for the
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
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]
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]
Career statistics
GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
ABA
Source[9]
Regular season
Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1967–68 | Kentucky | 3 | 12.0 | .250 | 1.000 | .500 | 3.3 | .0 | 3.3 |
Head coaching record
Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Detroit Titans (Independent) (1977–1979) | |||||||||
1977–78 | Detroit | 25–4 | NIT Quarterfinals | ||||||
1978–79 | Detroit | 22–6 | NCAA Division I first round
| ||||||
Detroit Mercy: | 47–10 (.825) | ||||||||
San Diego State Aztecs (Western Athletic Conference) (1979–1987) | |||||||||
1979–80 | San Diego State | 6–21 | 3–11 | T–7th | |||||
1980–81 | San Diego State | 15–12 | 8–8 | 5th | |||||
1981–82 | San Diego State | 20–9 | 11–5 | 2nd | NIT first round | ||||
1982–83 | San Diego State | 18–10 | 8–8 | T–5th | |||||
1983–84 | San Diego State | 15–13 | 6–10 | T–6th | |||||
1984–85 | San Diego State | 23–8 | 11–5 | 2nd | NCAA Division I first round | ||||
1985–86 | San Diego State | 10–19 | 7–9 | 6th | |||||
1986–87 | San Diego State | 5–25 | 2–14 | T–8th | |||||
San Diego State: | 112–117 (.489) | 56–70 (.444) | |||||||
Total: | 159–127 (.556) | ||||||||
National champion
Postseason invitational champion
|
Notes
References
- ^ Crowther, Linnea (September 8, 2020). "David Gaines obituary". Legacy.com. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
- ^ Zeigler, Mark (September 5, 2020). "Former Aztecs basketball coach Smokey Gaines dies". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
- ^ Davis, Terry (September 10, 2020). "At every level, David 'Smokey' Gaines made an impact". Tri-State Defender. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
- ^ "Legends". Harlem Globetrotters. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
- ^ Zeigler, Mark (September 5, 2020). "Smokey Gaines, first Black Division I basketball coach in California, dies". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 6, 2020.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Paul, Tony (5 September 2020). "David 'Smokey' Gaines, Detroit Mercy's first Black coach, Harlem Globetrotter alum, dies at 80". The Detroit News. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
- ^ McCarty, Andrew (September 5, 2020). "Former College Basketball Coach Has Passed Away". thespun.com. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
- Basketball Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from Basketball-Reference.com
- Harlem Globetrotters Profile