William Malcolm Stokes (April 16, 1929 – April 25, 2018) was an American
college basketball
College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...
coach.
Stokes was born in
Earlington, Kentucky
Earlington is a home rule-class city in Hopkins County, Kentucky, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 1,413, down from 1,649 at the 2000 census.
History
Founded in 1870 by the St. Bernard Coal Co., Earli ...
, the son of Frank Farmer Stokes and Frances Wyatt Stokes. He grew up in Earlington and worked in the coal mines in his youth. Stokes graduated from Earlington High School and enrolled at
Western Kentucky University
Western Kentucky University (WKU) is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky, United States. It was founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach back a few decades earlier. It operates regional campuses in Glas ...
. When he was 18, his father died in a mining accident. After graduating from Western Kentucky, Stokes joined the Marines and became a lieutenant. He earned a masters and doctorate degree at George Peabody College of
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private university, private research university in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provide ...
, then did some postgraduate work at
Harvard University
Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
. Stokes taught a number of subjects, including administration, supervision, statistics, tests and measurements, health, physical education, recreation and athletics.
In 1958, Stokes became an assistant basketball coach at
Middle Tennessee State
Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU or MT) is a public research university in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Founded in 1911 as a normal school, the university consists of eight undergraduate colleges as well as a college of graduate studies, to ...
under Ed Diddle Jr. Stokes became the head coach in 1962. He hired
Ken Trickey
Kenneth Franklin Trickey Sr. (August 30, 1933"Ken Trickey" ''
Miami-Dade College
Miami Dade College (MDC) is a public college located in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1959, MDC operates eight campuses and numerous outreach centers throughout Miami-Dade County. It is the largest institution in the Florida Colle ...
in 1966 as athletic director and eventually became President at Wolfson Campus, Kendall Campus and North Campus.
In 1997, Stokes left Miami-Dade to join Lockheed Martin and afterwards Affiliated Computer Services as the project manager of the Welfare Reform Programs. He was a member of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce and United Way Community Development Committee. On April 25, 2018, Stokes died of
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a neurodegenerative disease primarily of the central nervous system, affecting both motor system, motor and non-motor systems. Symptoms typically develop gradually and non-motor issues become ...
. He is survived by his wife Roberta Boyce Stokes; children Deborah and James Norman; several grandchildren and great-grandchildren; and brothers Jim and Steve Blais.