LACEY, Wash. — The Saint Martin's Men's Basketball team today announced the hiring of Nathaniel Stokes as assistant coach.
Stokes joins the Saints' coaching staff after a decorated playing career at Saint Martin's, along with two years of playing experience at the Division I level.
"I am extremely excited to welcome Nathaniel to our coaching staff. As a player, he played a pivotal role in establishing a championship culture here at Saint Martin's, and I'm confident he will continue to build on that tradition as he begins his coaching career," Saint Martin's Men's Basketball Head Coach Tyler Velasquez said. "His strong work ethic, knowledge of our program, and familiarity with the GNAC will be tremendous assets to our staff and the entire program."
Stokes joined Saint Martin's ahead of the 2022-23 season, helping lead the team to its second consecutive GNAC Regular Season Championship. Across two seasons with the Saints, Stokes appeared in 39 games and made 16 starts, while shooting 41.2% from the field and averaging 4.6 points and 3.4 rebounds per game.
In addition to the GNAC Regular Season title in 2023, Stokes helped the Saints earn the program's first-ever No. 1 national ranking during the 2023-24 season. During his two seasons in Lacey, Stokes' Saints teams accumulated an overall record of 45-15.
Prior to Saint Martin's, Stokes played two seasons at Division I Bryant under Head Coach Jared Grasso. During Stokes' time with the Bulldogs, the team accumulated a record of 37-17. Bryant finished second in the NEC in 2021 and won the NEC in 2022, clinching a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Across the two seasons, Stokes appeared in 29 games and averaged 2.6 points and 1.9 rebounds per game.
"Returning to Saint Martin's as a coach was an easy decision when Coach Velasquez reached out," Stokes said. "Having a great relationship with the coaching staff and a strong connection to the program made the fit, both basketball-wise and culture-wise, a no-brainer. It's an amazing opportunity to continue building on what they started here."
