Ross K. Smith National Coach of the Year Award
The Ross K. Smith National Coach of the Year Award is named after Ross K. Smith who was the two-time national champion head coach and director of debate at Wake Forest. The award recognizes lifetime achievement in coaching intercollegiate debate. Award stewardship began at Emory University before moving to the University of South Carolina and then Wake Forest University. The award is now hosted by the National Debate Tournament.”
Award Winners:
| 2023 | Aaron Kall | University of Michigan |
| 2022 | John Turner | Dartmouth College |
| 2021 | Dr. Jacob Thompson | University of Nevada – Las Vegas |
| 2020 | No Award | |
| 2019 | No Award | |
| 2018 | Dr. David Cram Helwich | University of Minnesota |
| 2017 | Dr. Michael Hester | West Georgia |
| 2016 | Jonathan Paul | Georgetown |
| 2015 | Ed Lee | Emory |
| 2014 | David Heidt | Michigan |
| 2013 | Sam Maurer | Emporia |
| 2012 | Dr. Daniel Fitzmier | Northwestern |
| 2011 | Adrienne Brovero | Mary Washington |
| 2010 | Roger Solt | Kentucky |
| 2009 | Dave Arnett | Cal Berkeley |
| 2008 | Eric Morris | Missouri State University |
| 2007 | Ed Panetta | University of Georgia |
| 2006 | Scott Harris | University of Kansas |
| 2005 | Sherry Hall | Harvard University |
| 2004 | Jon Brushke | California State Univ.-Fullerton |
| 2003 | Jim Hanson | Whitman College |
| 2002 | Scott Deatherage | Northwestern University |
| 2001 | Joel Rollins | University of Texas-Austin |
| 2000 | Will Repko | Michigan State University |
| 1999 | Carrie Crenshaw | University of Alabama |
| 1998 | William E. Newnam | Emory University |
| 1997 | Ross Smith | Wake Forest University |
| 1996 | Doug Duke | University of Central Oklahoma |
| 1995 | Todd Graham | Northwestern State University |
| 1994 | David Berube | University of South Carolina |
| 1993 | A. C. Snider | University of Vermont |
| 1992 | Glen Strickland | Emporia State University |
| 1991 | Melissa Wade | Emory University |
| 1990 | Dallas Perkins | Harvard University |
| 1989 | Daryl Scott | Gonzaga University |
| 1988 | Allan Louden | Wake Forest University |
| 1987 | Jeff Bile | Southern Illinois University |
| 1986 | Robin Rowland & David Hingstman | Baylor University |
| 1985 | Bill Balthrop | University of North Carolina |
| 1984 | Walter Ulrich | Vanderbilt University |
| 1983 | Tim Hynes | University of Louisville |
| 1982 | Ken Strange | Dartmouth College |
| 1981 | J. W. Patterson | University of Kentucky |
| 1980 | Donn Parson | University of Kansas |
| 1979 | Tim Browning | University of Arizona |
| 1978 | No award protesting SCA moving onto the weekend | |
| 1977 | Cully Clark | University of Alabama |
| 1976 | Bill Henderson | Houston University |
| 1975 | Chester Gibson | West Georgia College |
| 1974 | Daniel Bozik | Augustana College |
| 1973 | Thomas Kane | University of Pittsburgh |
| 1972 | David Zarefsky | Northwestern University |
| 1971 | James Unger | Georgetown University |
| 1970 | John Lynch | St. Anselm’s College |
| 1969 | George Ziegelmueller | Wayne State University |
| 1968 | Herb James | Dartmouth College |
| 1967 | Anabel Haygood | University of Alabama |