Tiara Stokes was named head coach of the LIU acrobatics & tumbling program on Sept. 2, 2025. A former standout student-athlete at West Virginia Wesleyan College, she is the second head coach in the program’s history.
As a collegiate student-athlete, Stokes was a member of West Viriginia Wesleyan’s inaugural team in 2017. She competed as a backspot, base, mid, and tumbler, winning the Mountain East Conference Championship in the 450 salto toss in 2022. She was named MEC Athlete of the Week one time that season and a first-team all-conference selection.
Stokes also was a member of the synchronized pyramid MEC Champion team in 2022 and competed at the National Collegiate Acrobatics & Tumbling Association (NCATA) national championships hosted by the University of Oregon.
A Charleston, West Virginia native and first-generation college student, Stokes holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and musical theatre from West Virginia Wesleyan and a master’s in counselor education from Clemson University. Since graduation she has worked as an instructor for Universal Cheerleaders Association.
