Information Courtesy of Buffalo State Sports Information Department
CORTLAND, N.Y. - The State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) announces that Buffalo State's Athletic Director, Jerry Boyes, will receive its 2020 Dr. Patrick R. Damore Distinguished Service Award. Boyes who has announced that he will retire at the end of June, will be honored with this award and will also be recognized with SUNYAC's Retiree Award at the SUNYAC Annual Awards Banquet tentatively scheduled for May 12.
Boyes has been a fixture at Buffalo State since 1986 when he was hired as the school's head football coach and in short order put the Bengals on the map as one of the premier college football programs in New York State.
After establishing the program's roots over his first four years, Boyes led the Bengals to a breakthrough campaign in 1990 with a 7-2 record, marking the team's first-ever winning season. What followed was a "decade of dominance" with 10 more winning seasons, seven NCAA tournament appearances, three ECAC Bowl Championships and 85-30 (.739) record during the 11-year span. Boyes was named the ECAC Upstate Coach of the Year three times and in 1995 was honored as the CNN Division III Coach of the Year.
Boyes also was promoted to Assistant Director of Athletics in 1991 and then became the school's Director of Athletics in 1999. Following the 2000 football season, Boyes stepped down from his coaching role to focus solely on leading the athletics department.
In his role as director, Boyes has been the driving force behind several significant upgrades within the department of athletics, including the elevation of all head coaches to full-time status and he oversaw the addition of the women's ice hockey program. Boyes also led major facility upgrades, including the construction of the softball field, installation of turf on Coyer Field, the construction of the Coyer Field press box, the major renovation of Houston Gym, the installation of new bleachers in the Sports Arena and the renovation of team locker rooms.
Boyes has also been a champion of the student-athlete experience, ensuring that all Buffalo State student-athletes are provided with the necessary tools to excel on their venue of play as well as in the classroom and to be prepared for life beyond Buffalo State. During Boyes' time as director, Buffalo State's student-athletes have boasted a graduation rate that far exceeds the general student body and consistently maintain higher GPAs than the college average.
In 2009, Boyes also returned to the sidelines as the Bengals' head football coach and filled that role until 2018, while also serving as director. His coaching career at Buffalo State spanned 25 seasons over his two stints and he finished with an overall record of 138-116 and led the Bengals to another ECAC Bowl Championship in 2014 and two more Bowl appearances in 2015 and 2017.
Boyes has also been an active member of the governing body of the SUNYAC since 1999, including severing on the executive committee from 2006-09 and then as the president in 2009-10. He has also served as a member of the NCAA Division III Recruiting Working Group since 2012.
Boyes was a 2002 Buffalo State President's Award for Excellence in Service to the College. His 21 years as director of athletics is the longest tenure at the position in the history of the College.
