A football Coach. Thru the 1960s he headed a number of nationally ranked high school teams.
A 1940 graduate from Shepherd College, he served in the U.S. Navy during World War II prior to starting a long coaching career.
He first gained renown at Big Creek High School in War, West Virginia but earned a national reputation at Bluefield High School in Bluefield, West Virginia. Taking over a chronically losing program in 1959, he won a state championship; over nine seasons, his teams had a record of 87-6-1 and won four Class AAA state titles, with three of the losses and the tie coming in 1963. During his Bluefield years he coached several nationally ranked teams and turned down offers from a number of major colleges. Following the Beavers' fourth championship in 1967, Coach Gainer retired, though his retirement was to be short-lived as he accepted an offer from Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia in 1969. The school had won one game in the previous three seasons but Coach Gainer immediately had them winning and the Patriots captured the Virginia state championship in 1973. The coach retired for good in 1978 but over the years was a highly sought after instructor for coaching seminars throughout the country. He was inducted into the National High School Athletics Hall of Fame in 1979 and the West Virginia Sports Writers Hall of Fame in 1986. Coach Gainer was the high school coach of "Rocket Boy" Homer Hickam at Big Creek and was portrayed in the movie "October Sky" by David Copeland. Today the stadium at Patrick Henry High School carries his name.
A 1940 graduate from Shepherd College, he served in the U.S. Navy during World War II prior to starting a long coaching career.
He first gained renown at Big Creek High School in War, West Virginia but earned a national reputation at Bluefield High School in Bluefield, West Virginia. Taking over a chronically losing program in 1959, he won a state championship; over nine seasons, his teams had a record of 87-6-1 and won four Class AAA state titles, with three of the losses and the tie coming in 1963. During his Bluefield years he coached several nationally ranked teams and turned down offers from a number of major colleges. Following the Beavers' fourth championship in 1967, Coach Gainer retired, though his retirement was to be short-lived as he accepted an offer from Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia in 1969. The school had won one game in the previous three seasons but Coach Gainer immediately had them winning and the Patriots captured the Virginia state championship in 1973. The coach retired for good in 1978 but over the years was a highly sought after instructor for coaching seminars throughout the country. He was inducted into the National High School Athletics Hall of Fame in 1979 and the West Virginia Sports Writers Hall of Fame in 1986. Coach Gainer was the high school coach of "Rocket Boy" Homer Hickam at Big Creek and was portrayed in the movie "October Sky" by David Copeland. Today the stadium at Patrick Henry High School carries his name.
A football Coach. Thru the 1960s he headed a number of nationally ranked high school teams.
A 1940 graduate from Shepherd College, he served in the U.S. Navy during World War II prior to starting a long coaching career.
He first gained renown at Big Creek High School in War, West Virginia but earned a national reputation at Bluefield High School in Bluefield, West Virginia. Taking over a chronically losing program in 1959, he won a state championship; over nine seasons, his teams had a record of 87-6-1 and won four Class AAA state titles, with three of the losses and the tie coming in 1963. During his Bluefield years he coached several nationally ranked teams and turned down offers from a number of major colleges. Following the Beavers' fourth championship in 1967, Coach Gainer retired, though his retirement was to be short-lived as he accepted an offer from Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia in 1969. The school had won one game in the previous three seasons but Coach Gainer immediately had them winning and the Patriots captured the Virginia state championship in 1973. The coach retired for good in 1978 but over the years was a highly sought after instructor for coaching seminars throughout the country. He was inducted into the National High School Athletics Hall of Fame in 1979 and the West Virginia Sports Writers Hall of Fame in 1986. Coach Gainer was the high school coach of "Rocket Boy" Homer Hickam at Big Creek and was portrayed in the movie "October Sky" by David Copeland. Today the stadium at Patrick Henry High School carries his name.
A 1940 graduate from Shepherd College, he served in the U.S. Navy during World War II prior to starting a long coaching career.
He first gained renown at Big Creek High School in War, West Virginia but earned a national reputation at Bluefield High School in Bluefield, West Virginia. Taking over a chronically losing program in 1959, he won a state championship; over nine seasons, his teams had a record of 87-6-1 and won four Class AAA state titles, with three of the losses and the tie coming in 1963. During his Bluefield years he coached several nationally ranked teams and turned down offers from a number of major colleges. Following the Beavers' fourth championship in 1967, Coach Gainer retired, though his retirement was to be short-lived as he accepted an offer from Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia in 1969. The school had won one game in the previous three seasons but Coach Gainer immediately had them winning and the Patriots captured the Virginia state championship in 1973. The coach retired for good in 1978 but over the years was a highly sought after instructor for coaching seminars throughout the country. He was inducted into the National High School Athletics Hall of Fame in 1979 and the West Virginia Sports Writers Hall of Fame in 1986. Coach Gainer was the high school coach of "Rocket Boy" Homer Hickam at Big Creek and was portrayed in the movie "October Sky" by David Copeland. Today the stadium at Patrick Henry High School carries his name.
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