Members
Inductee
STOKES, JOHN “TOM”
STOKES, JOHN “TOM”
Born on April 14, 1928
Calumet City, IL
August 1, 2014.
Inducted On
May 2, 1982
Location Inducted
Merrillville, IN
Region Number
1
Valparaiso
Coach
Thornton Fractional, Calumet City
1946
Football All-Conference 1945; All-State 1946; earned 3 letters in football, 3 in track, and 2 in basketball.
Drake University, IA; Indiana University MA
1951
All-Conference defensive back 1950; earned 4 letters in football as a defensive cornerback and offensive wingback and 3 in track.
Served 4 years in the US Air Force between Scranton, IA, and Jasper, IN, coaching stops; during his time at Valparaiso, 42 players were named football All-State.
Wife, Pat; children, Joanna, Gus, and Leigh; granchild, Nicholas.
Coaching Experience: Head football coach - Scranton, IA, 1951, with record of 4-5-0; Jasper, IN, 1956-1959, with record of 20-4-1; Dyer, IN, 1959-1961, with record of 21-8-1; and, Valparaiso, IN, 1962-1976, with record of 113-33-4; retired from coaching in 1976 with a career coaching record of 158-50-6.
Coaching Honors: Undefeated seasons in 1969, 1970, 1975, 1976; Class AAA State Champions 1975; an assistant coach for North team in North-South All-Star game 1974; Indiana High School Coaches Association Coach of the Year 1975-1976.
Coaching Honors: Undefeated seasons in 1969, 1970, 1975, 1976; Class AAA State Champions 1975; an assistant coach for North team in North-South All-Star game 1974; Indiana High School Coaches Association Coach of the Year 1975-1976.