Britton-Hecla High School girls basketball coach Terry Nelson is the first recipient of the “Larry Luitjens Coach of Influence” Award.

The “Larry Luitjens Coach of Influence” Award will recognize a girls basketball coach and a boys basketball coach each season. The award’s objective is to pay tribute to Luitjens and honor coaches that stood for his core coaching values. 

Nelson will receive the award at the State B girls basketball tournament in Rapid City. The boys award recipient will be announced at a later date. 

Luitjens, a legendary boys' basketball coach who won multiple state championships at De Smet and Custer, won a state-record 748 games. He died in 2023. 

Nelson has coached basketball for 36 seasons, including stops at Deubrook, Cheyenne-Eagle Butte, Chamberlain, Hecla, Frederick-Hecla and Britton-Hecla. 

A Flandreau High School graduate, Nelson was a multi-sport athlete in high school and at Huron College.