By Rich Winter

605 Sports

As the final seconds ticked away from Thursday’s playoff game between Bon Homme and Hamlin, Cavalier head coach Byron Pudwill’s emotions came forward.

Pudwill has been roaming the Cavalier sidelines for 41 years as an assistant and head coach, but Oct. 19 was his last game as Pudwill announced he is stepping away from the game.

“After the game it was about as emotional as it could get,” Pudwill said. 

All week leading up to Thursday’s game vs. Hamlin, Pudwill admits he was thinking about the last of the coaching football moments. He even tried to lean on the advice he’s been giving his players for the last four decades. 

“We always tell our kids to take time and savor every moment,” he said. “I found myself looking at the crows nest and putting together a mental picture of what those last few moments were like.”

Pudwill, who graduated from the University of South Dakota-Springfield, remembers the excitement when he interviewed for a teaching and coaching position at the newly formed Bon Homme High School, a consolidation of Tyndall, Tabor and Springfield.

He remembers the stoic faces of long-time Tyndall coach Howard Taplett, a South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame member, and superintendent Jim Flevares, who coached Tripp to the 1965 Class B boys state basketball title, during the interview process. 

Right out of the gate, Taplett and Flevares hit him with the question of “What is your philosophy of coaching?”

“In the back of my mind I was saying whatever you want it to be,” Pudwill said. “I had two legends sitting in front of me and I’m not sure what I said but it must have worked because I highly doubt that I told them anything they already didn’t know.” 

In his first year at Bon Homme, Pudwill did not coach high school sports, instead he delved into the coaching world by coaching middle-school football. 

“Those were amazing times,” Pudwill said. “We went 5-0 that year and thought we won the Super Bowl.”

The following fall, Pudwill joined the only other football coach Bon Homme has ever known, Russ Morrell on the sidelines as an assistant coach.

Together they coached Bon Homme to Class 11B state titles in 1994 and ‘95, and one runner-up finish in 1998. Pudwill said he drew from Morrell’s football IQ and his soft skills with the players. 

“Ross was an offensive lineman at the University of South Dakota and he taught me a lot of things schematically,” Pudwill said. “Anyone can coach X’s and O’s but it's how you get along with your players that ultimately goes a long way toward athletic success.” 

After taking the head coaching reins in 2001, Pudwill led the Cavaliers to a 9AA state title in 2018 and a runner-up finish in 2019. 

For the last four decades, Bon Homme has been a consistent winner and a top-notch football program in South Dakota. Pudwill attributes that to stability and a community that loves the sport. 

“Having Russ and I for the last 41 years, I think the kids and the community know that this is how we do things and this is what we expect,” Pudwill said. “There is a toughness and pride in this community where people tell stories about their brothers or their fathers that played football. The whole thing gives the student body something they can rally behind, get together and hopefully win a few games.” 

Pudwill referenced a community with a large Bohemian, Dutch and German population saying he has zero complaints about his tenure at Bon Homme High School. 

“There have been some bumps in the road but it kinda goes back to what they say,” he said. “Everyone is going to get punched in the face but it's how you handle it that ultimately defines you.” 

When Pudwill retired from coaching track and field in 2019 his phone wouldn’t stop buzzing as former players and athletes checked in to wish their former coach well. With his newest announcement the phone will likely keep Pudwill busy for a few weeks during an emotional time. 

“Last night, I was looking at one of our captains and thought back to the day I drove the bus for his father when he was in the first grade,” Pudwill said.

In March 2022, Pudwill was inducted into the South Dakota Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame. 

Pudwill’s football coaching record over 41 seasons

• School Record: 262-151 (Seasons from 1982-2022)

• Career Record: 113-102 as a Bon Homme Head Coach.

• 141-47 as a Bon Homme Assistant