ELON, N.C. – Elon University head men’s basketball coach Billy Taylor announced the addition of Darius Stokes as an assistant coach to his coaching staff on Wednesday, June 18. Stokes arrives at Elon after spending last season as an assistant coach at the United States Military Academy, West Point.
“I am excited to be reunited with Darius, this time as a member of our coaching staff at Elon University,” said Taylor. “His experience playing for us at the University of Iowa in a similar system will help him lead our guys on the court. He also exemplifies the high-character and a high-level work ethic that will aid in the development of our student athletes off the court. The successful programs he has worked for and the experience gained from multiple NCAA tournament appearances will be a huge asset for us.”
Stokes spent two seasons as the Director of Program Development for the University of Richmond men’s basketball program. He also served as the Spiders’ video coordinator, managing all aspects of the team’s video operations and contributing to opponent scouting and player recruitment. During his time at Richmond, the Spiders won the 2022 Atlantic 10 tournament and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 11 years.
Stokes spent four seasons on the men’s basketball coaching staff at Fairleigh Dickinson under former Knights’ head coach and current Elon assistant Greg Herenda. He served as an assistant coach under Herenda during the 2020-21 season following three seasons as the team’s director of basketball operations. In Stokes’ second season on staff, FDU went 21-14 and won the Northeast Conference Championship to advance to the 2019 NCAA Tournament, the sixth tournament appearance in school history.
Stokes spent the 2016-17 season as an administrative assistant with the men’s basketball team at the University of Iowa, where he started his career as a student-athlete in 2010. Stokes appeared in 38 games for the Hawkeyes over four seasons and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Health and Human Physiology in 2014. He transferred to Fairleigh Dickinson later that year and started 28 games for the Knights during the 2014-15 season while earning a Master’s degree in Sports Administration. Following graduation, Stokes played professionally for UER Pineda de Mar in Spain for one season.
Stokes’ father Greg was an All-Big Ten center at Iowa whose number 41 jersey has been retired by the Hawkeyes. He was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the 33rd pick in the 1985 NBA Draft and went on to appear in 42 games over two NBA seasons. Stokes is the brother of Kiah Stokes, a three-time national champion at Connecticut who was the 11th overall pick in the 2015 WNBA Draft. She joined the Las Vegas Aces in 2021 following six seasons with the New York Liberty and won back-to-back WNBA Championships in 2022 and 2023.
— ELON —