The Hillsdale College football team is expanding its staff for the 2023 season with the addition of an exciting new receivers coach with a pedigree of success.
Ryan Stokes joins the Hillsdale College football coaching staff for the upcoming campaign, bringing significant experience and expertise to the receivers coach position while also adding to the Chargers' acumen in recruiting.
"I'm excited to be working at Hillsdale because I know that it means I get to work with an excellent coaching staff and high-quality kids as a part of a program that has a strong culture and is committed to doing things the right way," Stokes said. "I've been blessed throughout my career so far to get to work in great situtations and with excellent coaches, so I can appreciate what a great opportunity I have here at Hillsdale to be a part of something special."
A 2013 graduate of Grand Valley State University who was a two-year letter-winner at placekicker for the Lakers, Stokes has spent nearly a full decade since working his way up the coaching ranks and getting experience that he now brings to this new position at Hilllsdale. He comes to Hillsdale most recently from NCAA Division I Eastern Michigan University, where he spent the past year working as a Special Teams Quality Control Analyst and helping the Eagles to their first MAC West Championship since 1987, while working with a special teams unit that ranked as a top 25 unit in the nation at the DI level in 2022, as well as one of the top units in the MAC.
Stokes started his coaching career after graduating from GVSU in 2013, spending three years in a variety of roles at NCAA DII Saint Joseph's College from 2014 through 2016. During his time in Rensselaer, Indiana, Stokes spent time as the Run Game Coordinator, Tight Ends Coach, Running Backs Coach and Specialists Coach and also served as the program's Recruiting Coordinator, Camp Coordinator and Social Media Director at different times during his tenure, helping SJC post impressive offensive numbers and coaching the program's all-time leading rusher, Braxton Shelton, during his tenure.
After three years at Saint Joseph, Stokes returned to his alma mater in 2017, spending a season as an offensive graduate assistant with the Lakers and helping GVSU field the best offense in the GLIAC during his time there. Stokes parlayed that graduate assistant position into a role as the Running Backs and Specialists Coach at another NCAA DII Midwestern power, Indianapolis, for the 2018 season, and then moved up the the NCAA DI FCS level at Indiana State, where he spent three seasons with the Sycamores, first as a graduate assistant working with the wide receivers, and then as the team's Special Teams Coordinator in 2020 and 2021. From there, Stokes moved on to EMU before heading to Hillsdale.
As receivers coach at Hillsdale, Stokes will draw on that experience at Indiana State of working with that position group, as well as his tenures with several successful offensive programs in looking to help take the Chargers' passing offense to the next level. An experienced recruiter as well with ties all over the country, Stokes also will be an asset on the front as Hillsdale looks to find the next generation of Chargers legends in the coming years.
"I've been a part of several quality programs across multiple different levels, and I've been lucky to work under leaders who've taught me so much about the sport and about life, and helped me grow into the coach I am today," Stokes said. "I'm excited to be back working on the offensive side of the ball and really looking forward to contributing to the great culture in the Hillsdale College football program and doing my part to make the receivers room the best it can possibly be this upcoming season."
Stokes has a Bachelor's of Science in Physical Education from Grand Valley State University, completed in 2013, and also received a Master's Degree in Physical Education-Coaching from Indiana State University in 2020 during his tenure there. A native of Merrillville, Indiana, Stokes was a four-time Athlete of the Year at Merrillville High School and was the 13th-ranked place kicker in the nation to ESPN before signing with Grand Valley State in the spring of 2009. With GVSU, Stokes was second on the team in scoring (77) in 2011 with seven made field goals and 56 extra points, and was a part of the 2009 NCAA DII National Runner-Up squad for the Lakers, as well as multiple conference championship-winning teams.