Gaines was the head coach of the 1988 Permian High School football team, which was the focus of Buzz Bissinger's book Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream and the 2004 motion picture Friday Night Lights starring Billy Bob Thornton.
He played quarterback at Angelo State University from 1967 through 1970, earning letters during all four years.
[3] Following Wilkins' retirement after the 1985 season, Gaines returned to Permian as head coach, taking over a team that had made back-to-back 5A state championship games that had resulted in a tie to Beaumont French High School (in 1984, state football ended with no overtime, thus resulting in a 21–21 tie) and lost to Houston Yates in 1985.
Bissinger's 1990 book Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream, which chronicled Permian's 1988 season and the football crazed culture of West Texas.
The Panthers were not able to recreate the success Gaines had in the 1980s, compiling a 23–21 record over four seasons with just one playoff victory.
Speaking to high schools and colleges across the country, Gaines gave insight on teamwork, leadership, winning and success on and off the field.
[1] In 2017, Gaines announced that he had been diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's disease.