Stapleton is set to embark on his second season as coach and first season as a graduate assistant for the Skyhawks in 2023-24.
In his first season as a student assistant, Fort Lewis captured a program record 29-4 overall record and a 19-3 record in RMAC play. The Skyhawks captured a share of the RMAC Regular Season title and marched on to win the RMAC Tournament Championship and book their ticket to the NCAA South-Central Regional. FLC captured the No. 2 overall seed in the region and bested Lubbock Christian 97-65 in the opening round of the tournament.
Fort Lewis enjoyed 14 straight weeks in the NABC Top-25 Poll, 13 weeks in the D2 College Sports Communicators Media Top-25 Poll, ended the historic campaign ranked No. 7 by NABC and No. 5 by D2CSC, and was fifth nationally in average attendance. In addition, Stapleton helped in the development of five All-RMAC selections in Akuel Kot (First Team), JaQuaylon Mays (First Team), Brenden Boatwright (Second Team), Scottie Stafford (Honorable Mention), and Obi Agbim (Honorable Mention).
Additionally, Kot advanced to earn D2CCA First Team All-Region and NABC First Team All-District honors before becoming the program's first-ever two-time All-American (Second Team, D2CCA and First Team, NABC). Kot made the Small College Basketball Bevo "Francis" Award Top-25 Watch List, an award given annually to the player considered to have the finest season among all of NCAA Division III, II, NAIA, USCAA Divison I, II, and NCCAA Division I and II. The Skyhawks had seven RMAC Players of the Week throughout the season.
Before he transitioned into coaching in the fall of 2022, Stapleton played three years at Fort Lewis after joining the program in the fall of 2019. He played in 10 total games for FLC across his three seasons including a shortened season due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. He graduated with his degree in Business from Fort Lewis in the spring of 2023.
Stapleton is a native of Westminster, Colo., and a 2019 graduate of Legacy High School.
