Smith College

Coach Samantha Stukes is delighted to embark on her inaugural season as the Women’s Basketball Head Coach at Northern New Mexico College, enhancing the program with her rich 12-year coaching experience across multiple levels.
 
Previously, Stukes took on the role of Project Director at Community Youth Development in her hometown of Northeast-El Paso, TX. Here, she managed preventative programs aimed at at-risk youth. Throughout her tenure, she created numerous exposure opportunities for aspiring student-athletes and budding sports professionals, fostering their advancement through both academic and athletic pathways.
 
In 2010, Coach Stukes founded Bonafide Basketball, an AAU organization. Under her leadership, Bonafide Basketball has earned 12 NCAA-Certified National Championships at the High School Open-Elite Divisions, and she guided nearly 100 student-athletes towards college scholarships.
 
After being honored as the recipient of People Magazine's "Thank You Coach" Campaign in 2019, Stukes launched Southwest Desert Hoops. This venture marked El Paso's first Men's and Women's Minor League Basketball Organization. Her guidance led the Franchise to its first Women's Basketball National Championship in the WBDA, which subsequently garnered her the Coach of the Year accolade in 2021.
 
Parallel to this, the Men's Program also achieved significant success, securing two Sweet 16's, a Final Four appearance, and recognition as the ABA Expansion Team of the Year.
 
Stukes made history in 2022 when she became the first woman to coach in the LBE, the Premier Professional Men's League in Chihuahua, Mexico, serving as an Assistant Coach with the Indomables de Cd. Juarez.
 
She holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Sciences from the University of Phoenix and an Associate's degree in Applied Sciences from Allen County CC in Kansas.
 
In her cherished spare time, Coach Stukes loves to spend quality time with her husband and their two children, Amare and Alana.