White River’s Eldon Marshall is the first-ever boys basketball 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.

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. 

Marshall will be recognized at halftime of a semifinal game of the Class B boys basketball tournament in Aberdeen on Friday. He will receive a handcrafted Native American medallion and a plaque. 

Marshall and the Tigers have qualified for every Class B boys basketball tournament since 2006. Marshall has more than 400 wins and has won four state championships as White River’s coach. 

Britton-Hecla’s Terry Nelson was recently named the first-ever girls basketball  “Larry Luitjens Coach of Influence” Award recipient.