Edward comes to NCSA with basketball “in his blood” and a part of his life for over 25 years as a player, coach and referee. He was a starter at Davidson College, one of the leading Division I academic basketball programs in the nation, and the team captain his Junior and Senior year. He also spent over seven years as a referee in the NBA, WNBA, CBA and NCAA Division I basketball. Most recently, Gaines officiated the 2010 NBA Pre-Season.
An Academic All-American, National Honor Society Member and All-State player at James S. Rickards High in Tallahassee, FL, Gaines is very familiar with the recruiting process. While at Rickards High, he graduated with high academic honors and was the city’s Student-Athlete of the Year his Senior year. He is one of the all-time leading scorers in Tallahassee history and still holds several career records at his alma mater. His senior year, he averaged 28 points and 11 rebounds while leading his team to a #9 ranking in the state of Florida. Gaines was recruited by several Division I, Division II, and NAIA schools before signing a full academic/athletic scholarship with the Davidson Wildcats.
Before joining NCSA Athletic Recruiting as a National Educational Speaker, he spent two years as a Corporate Banker immediately after graduating from Davidson. Additionally, he spent nearly 20 years in the Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology industry as a Regional Sales Executive with one of the world's leading biopharma companies. He held many leadership positions including Regional Sales Trainer, Management Development Liaison, as well as a member of the company’s President’s Circle. He’s also proud to have worked with some of the most prestigious Interventional Cardiologists and Cardiac-Thoracic Surgeons in the U.S. Gaines graduated from Davidson with a BA in Sociology and Pre-Law and is currently pursuing his MBA at Northeastern University where his areas of concentration are International/Global Management and Entrepreneurship.
Edward is committed to NCSA Athletic Recruiting and its mission of “Connecting the Four Communities within The Athletic Recruiting Network—Student-Athletes and their Parents; High School Coaches and Athletic Directors; College Coaches; and the Professional Community.” His son Myles, who is a highly-rated two-sport athlete (football and lacrosse), is a scholar-athlete with NCSA Athletic Recruiting.
“I can relate to both the student-athlete and the parent in the college recruiting process. As a former student-athlete, I sat in their exact seat trying to figure out the best way to utilize sports as a vehicle to receive a quality college education. And as a parent, I can relate because I’m going through the process right now with my son Myles. NCSA is providing the education, expertise and guidance as we navigate through the recruiting process and determine which university will be the best fit for him!”
