They Call Me Big House [Hardcover]

Clarence E. Gaines (Author), Clint Johnson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2004

Coach Clarence "Big House" Gaines spent 47 years as coach and athletic director at Winston-Salem State University. As such, he became the fifth-winningest coach in NCAA basketball history (behind Adolph Rupp, Dean Smith, Bobby Knight, and Jim Phelan of Mount St. Mary's College) and the winningest African-American coach. In this book, Gaines concentrates on what was happening socially in the country during his tenure, as well as offering behind-the-scenes details about his many victories.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Professional sports, the cliché goes, are plagued by spoiled superstars, billionaire owners and fans who feel priced out of the games they love. That's why Gaines's autobiography is so refreshing. The coach of little Winston-Salem State in North Carolina is a basketball legend, having racked up 828 wins while running his team between 1946 and 1993, putting him fifth on the all-time college win list. He's won national championships and mentored future NBA stars like Earl "The Pearl" Monroe. But his book's real engine is the social narrative that surrounds the basketball court. The story of being a black coach helming a team through years when colored bathrooms still existed and black and white teams were banned from competing against one another is fascinating. "Today's sports stars believe being welcomed into expensive restaurants and high-class hotels is just part of the benefits of being a good ballplayer," Gaines writes. "The young men I coached in the '40s, '50s, and '60s knew better." He meshes sporting memories with charming personal vignettes of growing up in Paducah, Ky., with a father who cooked for local hotels and a mother who ran the household of a white family. It's a weighty reminiscence, a bit sprawling and unfocused. And while the writing style is unadorned, it works. Like the book's subject, it's amiable, unpretentious—and winning.
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About the Author

Clarence E. Gaines, who is enshrined in seven Halls of Fame, was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1982. Clint Johnson is the author of seven previous books. They both live in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 310 pages
• Publisher: John F Blair Pub (September 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0895873036
• ISBN-13: 978-0895873033
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,946,521 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fun read, September 4, 2004

By 

Jonathan Brown (Fair Oaks,, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: They Call Me Big House (Hardcover)

Big House was a great coach - the fifth best in history of college basketball but more importantly he was a guy with a sense of values and a good sense of humor. He knows basketball as well as anyone in the country and has some candid comments about how to improve the game. But his real commitment was to the students he coached. He experienced the bitter bite of segregation - working for an HBCU called Winston Salem State - but his memoir is better than a rant - it is a reflection of his insight and integrity.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a must read, April 19, 2008

By 

A customer "mistermaxxx" (usa) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: They Call Me Big House (Hardcover)

very compelling Book about Big house and His legacy which has him as One of the winningest Coaches Ever in College Basketball. but this Book reflects on the struggle and Bridiging the gap socially and spiritually. Humor keeps things into perspective in the Book,but what Big House had to deal with in Jim Crow America,etc... is no laughing matter and this book pulls no punches,but it speaks directly about the game on the court and the game of life and so much else in between. very Powerful.

5.0 out of 5 stars The House, July 10, 2008

By 

K. Bracey "K.Bracey" (Crazy Azz Queens,NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: They Call Me Big House (Hardcover)

Big House was one of the first persons I met when I was a freshmen at WSSU. Reading this book brought back some great memories. This is an Outstanding read that anyone would enjoy.
K.B.