Smokey Gaines

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

Smokey Gaines

Personal information
Born	(1940-02-27)February 27, 1940 Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Died	September 5, 2020(2020-09-05) (aged 80) Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
Listed height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Listed weight	170 lb (77 kg)
Career information
High school	Northeastern (Detroit, Michigan)
College	LeMoyne–Owen (1959–1963)
NBA draft	1963: undrafted
Position	Shooting guard
Number	32
Career history
As a player:
1967	Kentucky Colonels
As a coach:
1973–1977	Detroit (assistant)
1977–1979	Detroit
1979–1987	San Diego State
Career highlights
As player: No. 32 retired by LeMoyne–Owen Magicians As coach: WAC tournament champion (1985) WAC Coach of the Year (1985)
Stats at Basketball Reference

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]

Death

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

Career statistics

Legend

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

Statistics overview

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         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

Notes

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