Boyd Sussex Receives SDHSAA Distinguished Service Award

Boyd Sussex — former Milbank High School teacher, coach, and athletic director —was presented with the South Dakota High School Activities Association Distinguished Service Award for his contributions to high school basketball. Sussex received his award during the 2021 South Dakota Class A State Basketball Tournament in Sioux Falls on March 19.

Sussex retired from MHS in June 2017 after a nine-year stint as athletic director. During that time, he acquired corporate sponsorships for all special events Milbank hosted in cross country, track and field, gymnastics, basketball, wrestling, and golf. He directed the State A girls and boys golf tournaments in Milbank and numerous boys and girls Class A and B basketball district and regional tournaments. He also directed regional events in golf, gymnastics, track and field, volleyball, and wrestling. 
He was named the Athletic Director of the Year for the region in 2015. He also created the Coaches Fighting Cancer team that volunteers in the cancer walk in Milbank each year.

Sussex began the first 12 years of his career as a teacher and coach in North Dakota. He served as head boys basketball coach for 12 years and performed the duties of head football coach, head track coach, head baseball coach, and head girls basketball coach. He also spent time as a junior high football coach and an assistant girls basketball coach.

He moved to Milbank, where he spent 30 years at MHS. For 19 years, he was at the helm of the Bulldogs’ boys basketball team and compiled a 275-136 record. His overall record, including his career in North Dakota, was 443-247, which placed him at number 10 for all-time victories in South Dakota boys basketball history at the time of his retirement.

Sussex led the Bulldogs to the state Class A boys basketball tournament six times, capping that achievement with the 2005 State A championship title. During that time, his teams won six Northeast Conference titles. He also won three regional Coach of the Year awards.

He served as coach of the North boys basketball team at the South Dakota All Star games in 1995, and coach of the South Dakota All Stars in Nebraska in 2005. He also aided Milbank as a C team boys basketball coach, varsity football assistant coach, an assistant track coach, and a middle school football coach.

Although he is now retired, he continues to generously give his time to high school sports. “Something that has been really rewarding for me  in retirement is the number of coaches I help,” he says. “It could be with schemes, practices, special situations, player evaluations, or pretty much anything having to do with basketball. That has been really fun.”
“None of this recognition would have been possible without Kathy’s help,” he added. “She was instrumental in anything I did professionally. She’s the consummate coach’s wife!” Boyd and Kathy have one son, Jackson; a daughter-in-law, Val; and two grandchildren, Baker and Lauren.