Reece Gaines, the No. 15 overall pick by the Orlando Magic in the 2003 NBA Draft, played three seasons in the NBA and four more overseas.
Gaines stayed on staff when A.W. Hamilton took over the Eastern Kentucky men's basketball program in March of 2018, and he is now in his fourth season as an assistant coach for the Colonels.
“I am very excited to learn from a talented and hard-working coach like A.W. Hamilton,” Gaines said. “The future of Eastern Kentucky basketball is bright, and I’m looking forward to being a part of it."
Gaines helped turn the EKU offense into one of the most potent in the country in 2015-16. The Colonels ranked 18th in the country in scoring offense (80.5 points-per-game) and were the only team in the OVC to rank in the top three in the conference in all shooting percentage categories – first in three-point percentage (39.5), second in field goal percentage (a school-record 49.1) and third in free throw percentage (73.0).
He has also played a role in developing some of the top talent in the OVC over the past three seasons. Nick Mayo was voted first team All-OVC for the third straight year in 2017-18 after finishing the regular season ranked third in the conference in scoring at 18.0 points-per-game. He was also among the OVC's leaders in rebounding (11th / 6.7 rebounds-per-game), field goal percentage (ninth / 52.8%), free throw percentage (sixth / 83.9%), three-point field goal percentage (44.6%) and blocks (1.5 blocks-per-game). Zach Charles, meanwhile, graduated in 2018 and is now enjoying a successful professional career in Denmark.
After concluding his seven-year professional career, Gaines stepped into coaching as an assistant at Bellarmine University. Over the last three seasons, he helped the Knights to three straight NCAA Division II Tournament appearances, including a Sweet 16 and a Final Four trip. This past season, Bellarmine went 31-4, captured the Great Lakes Valley Conference regular season title and advanced to the national semifinals.
Gaines had a standout playing career at the University of Louisville. The 6-foot-6 shooting guard ended his career ranked fourth on UofL’s all-time scoring list with 1,945 points. As a senior he averaged 17.9 points and five assists per game on his way to earning All-America honors from the Sporting News, ESPN, Sports Illustrated and the Associated Press.
The Madison, Wisconsin native became just the 12th freshman to start his first game during the 30-year tenure of Louisville Head Coach Denny Crum. He led the team in assists (3.3 apg), was second in scoring (13.9 ppg) and led Conference USA in three-point shooting (42.6 percent) as a sophomore. Gaines played is final two seasons at Louisville under head coach Rick Pitino. He earned all-conference honors after leading the team in scoring (21.0 ppg) as a junior.
After being drafted by the Orlando Magic, Gaines also played for the Houston Rockets and the Milwaukee Bucks during his NBA career. He earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology at Louisville in 2003.
Gaines starred at Madison West High School where he averaged 22.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.6 steals as a senior while earning All-State honors. Gaines was ranked among the nation's top 25 prospects by Recruiting USA, was top 30 in Athlon's and was top 45 by the Sporting News.
Gaines and his wife Delisa have three children: Cruz, Alessandra and Carlo.
