A basketball goal installed by Cobbie Rainey was perfection within a fraction of an inch.

That's the way he coached, too, until he retired in 1978. The former University of Georgia hoops star coached basketball at Stone Mountain High School for 21 years, won a state title in 1957 and is in the Georgia Athletic Hall of Fame.

"He was an old-school coach who could get the players to play for love of the game," said Lenny Heacock of Snellville, who played for him and remained a friend. Mr. Rainey installed a basketball goal at Mr. Heacock's house in 1984, and it's still up, he said.

"When he retired, being basketball was his life, he was lost," said Mr. Rainey's daughter, Lydia McGill of Snellville. Until, that is, he found satisfaction and money in his new career —- making and installing basketball poles and goals.

"He told me, 'You know, if I'd known I'd be this successful and make this much money, I might never have gone into coaching.' And you can put that in the paper," Mrs. McGill said.

The funeral for E.L. "Cobbie" Rainey, 84, of Stone Mountain will be 1 p.m. Friday at First Baptist Church in Stone Mountain. He died at Gwinnett Medical Center in Duluth on Monday of complications from a hip replacement. Wages & Sons Funeral Home, Stone Mountain, is in charge of arrangements.

To prepare his Class B basketball team, Mr. Rainey subscribed to newspapers all over Georgia to study his competition and scout every player in the state.

"My mama kind of freaked when she came home one day and he had done a tournament bracket all over the wall in the living room. Then she laughed about it," Mrs. McGill said.

Mr. Rainey spent family vacations at the beach, playtime at the dog track and fishing off St. George Island and the rest of his time working or watching sports. He kept a television set in every room in the house, his daughter said, and three in the living room during bowl season, until he bought a 52-inch model.

Survivors include another daughter, Debbie Gunnett of Loganville; two sons, Larry Rainey of Loganville and David Rainey of Maggie Valley, N.C.; a sister, Snodell Morris of Tucker; a brother, B.E. Rainey of Clarkston; 10 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.