Coaching Awards

Commentary by William Southworth, Redlands University

LUCY KEELE AWARD

With age comes growing respect, and appreciation for those individuals who have devoted so much time and effort into making the forensic community a more enjoyable and productive experience for so many students. The first annual award for forensic contributors was initiated by the NDT Board of Trustees in 1996. The 50th NDT at Wake Forest was a festive event with many NDT alumni returning to see how the activity, that had so influenced their lives, had evolved. The Lucy Keel Award in honor of the former Director of Debate at CSU Fullerton and member of the Board of Trustees for many years, was created to recognize outstanding service to the Debate Community, the previous recipients have been:

1996 – Donn Parson, University of Kansas
1997 – Brett O’Donnell, Liberty University
1998 – Melissa Wade & Bill Newnam, Emory University
1999 – George Ziegelmueller, Wayne State University
2000 – Bill Balthrop, University of North Carolina
2001 – Rich Edwards, Baylor University
2002 – Pat Ganer, Cypress College
2003 – Frank Harrison, Trinity University
2004 – Will Baker, New York University
2005 – Allan Louden, Wake Forest University
2006 – David Zarefsky, Northwestern University
2007 – Stefan Bauschard, Lakeland Schools, NY
2008 – Bill Southworth, University of Redlands
2009 – Jon Bruschke, Cal State Fullerton
2010 – Jim Hanson and Aaron Hardy, Whitman College
2011 – Dallas Perkins, Harvard University
2012 – Gary Larson, Wheaton College
2013 – Tim ODonnell, Mary Washington University
2014 – Sarah T Partlow Lefevre, Idaho State University
2015 – John Fritch, University of Northern Iowa
2016 – David Hingstman, University of Iowa
2017 – Michael Davis, James Madison University
2018 – Arnie Madsen & Cate Palczewski, University of Northern Iowa
2019 – Adrienne Brovero, Mary Washington University
2020 – John Katsulas, Boston College
2021 – Matthew Vega, University of Missouri, Kansas City
2022 – David Cram-Helwich, University of Minnesota
2023 – Danielle O’Gorman, United States Naval Academy
2024 – Sherry Hall, University of Houston

GEORGE ZIEGELMUELLER AWARD

A second award was initiated at the 1999 NDT. Wayne State Alumni endowed an award in honor of their coach, George Ziegelmueller, for his over 30 years of excellent coaching, timeless commitment to the activity and numerous contributions to the forensics community—not the least of which was saving the NDT in 1966. Appropriately enough it is called The George Ziegelmueller Award and is presented to a faculty member who has distinguished himself or herself in the communication profession while coaching teams to competitive success at the NDT. Justifiably, George was himself the first recipient, others who have followed include:

1999 – George Ziegelmueller, Wayne State University
2000 – Allan Louden, Wake Forest University
2001 – Chester Gibson, State University of West Georgia & Ken Strange, Dartmouth College
2002 – Herb James, Dartmouth College & Karla Leeper, Baylor University
2003 – Donn Parson, University of Kansas & Tuna Snider, University of Vermont
2004 – Cate Palczewski, University of Northern Iowa
2005 – William Southworth, University of Redlands
2006 – Scott Harris, University of Kansas
2007 – Scott Deatherage, Northwestern University
2008 – Sarah T Partlow Lefevre, Idaho State University
2009 – Ross Smith, Wake Forest University
2010 – Tim O’Donnell, University of Mary Washington
2011 – Gordon Stables, University of Southern California
2012 – Glen Frappier, Gonzaga
2013 – Ryan Galloway, Samford University
2014 – Mike Davis, James Madison University
2015 – Jarrod Atchison, Wake Forest University
2016 – Will Mosley-Jensen, Trinity University
2017 – Michael Hester, West Georgia University
2018 – Jacob Thompson, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
2019 – Joe Schatz, Binghamton University
2020 – Allison Harper, Emory University
2021 – Eric Morris, Missouri State University
2022 – Amber Kelsie, Wake Forest University
2023 – Brett Bricker, University of Kansas
2024 – Edward Panetta, University of Georgia

OVID DAVIS AWARD

In 1999, a West Georgia Alumni endowed an award to be presented to the Coach of the Winning Team at the NDT. The Ovid Davis Award has not been permanently engraved with Scott Deatherage’s name on it, but as the following recipient list might suggest it well could be:

1999 – Scott Deatherage, Northwestern University
2000 – Melissa Wade, Emory University
2001 – David Hingstman, University of Iowa
2002 – Scott Deatherage, Northwestern University
2003 – Scott Deatherage, Northwestern University
2004 – Mike Eber, Michigan State University
2005 – Scott Deatherage, Northwestern University
2006 – Mike Eber, Michigan State University
2007 – Bill Newman, Emory University
2008 – Ross Smith, Wake Forest University
2009 – Scott Harris, University of Kansas
2010 – Greta Stahl, Michigan State University
2011 – Dan Fitzmier, Northwestern University
2012 – Jonathan Paul, Georgetown University
2013 – Sam Maurer, Emporia State University
2014 – Jonathan Paul, Georgetown University
2015 – Dan Fitzmier, Northwestern University
2016 – Dallas Perkins, Harvard University
2017 – Chris Kozack, Rutgers University, Newark
2018 – Brett Bricker, University of Kansas
2019 – Dave Arnett, University of Kentucky
2020 – Not Awarded
2021 – John Turner, Dartmouth College
2022 – John Turner, Dartmouth College
2023 – 
2024 – Aaron Kall, University of Michigan

JAMES J. UNGER COACHING AWARD

2009 the James Unger Award was established to recognize the coach of the top 1st round team/Copeland winner.

2009 – Daniel Fitzmier, Northwestern University
2010 – Ed Lee, Emory University
2011 – Ed Lee, Emory University
2012 – Daniel Fitzmier, NorthwesternUniversity
2013 – Jonathan Paul, Georgetown University
2014 – Daniel Fitzmier, Northwestern University
2015 – Daniel Fitzmier, Northwestern University
2016 – Sherry Hall, Harvard University
2017 – Margaret Solice, Harvard University
2018 – Scott Harris, University of Kansas
2019 – Dave Arnett, University of Kentucky
2020 – Michael Klinger, University of California, Berkeley
2021 – John Turner, Dartmouth College
2022 – Aaron Kall, University of Michigan
2023 – Aaron Kall, University of Michigan
2024 – Mikaela Malsin, Emory University