Bethel College (KS)

A.B. is in his 2nd season at the helm for the Threshers.

In the 2023 season, Bethel finished 6-5 and had 23 All-KCAC selections, with five of those being first team.

In his first season as Bethel football head coach, the Threshers won their third consecutive KCAC championship, in a three way tie, and not making the trip to the postseason tournament. In this season Stokes coached four All-Americans, and 21 All-KCAC selections.

Before returning to Bethel, Stokes spent the last two years at Lincoln Christian School in Tulsa, Okla. where he served as an assistant football coach as well as head wrestling coach. 

While launching a first-year wrestling program, Stokes also helped the football team achieve a 12-1 record and a state runner-up finish.

During his first stint at Bethel, Stokes spent time as the offensive coordinator (2018) and associate head coach/director of recruiting (2019). 
 
In 2018, the Thresher offense finished the season averaging more than 274 rushing yards per game, the third-most nationally. 
 
The 2018 team had three All-KCAC 2nd Team players and 13 total All-KCAC award recipients. 
 
Bethel finished the 2019 season with a record of 8-3, second in the KCAC. 
 
They were ranked in the NAIA Top 25 for the first time since 2008, and ended the year as the #24 team in the polls. 
 
The 2019 Threshers had two NAIA All-Americans, the KCAC Special Teams Player of the Year and six All-KCAC 1st Team players, and recorded 19 total conference awards.
 
Stokes spent six years at Larned High School before his first stint with the Threshers where he served as the head football coach as well as the head track and field coach.
 
He was able to lead the Indians past several milestones during his tenure in western Kansas, including ending a 28 year playoff drought and winning back-to-back first-round playoff games for the first time in program history.
 
Stokes played for Andy Lambert at Trinity International University, Deerfield, Ill., from 2003-05 before following Lambert to Sterling (Kan.) College, where Stokes finished his collegiate football career, 2005-06. Stokes also coached receivers for Sterling for three semesters following the conclusion of his playing career.
 
Returning to Bethel, Stokes takes over a perennial running powerhouse. The Threshers have led the country in rushing yards each of the last two seasons. 
 
Bethel Football has seen itself ranked for the entirety of the last two seasons, coming off back-to-back KCAC Conference Championships.