MCC’s Richert named Michigan Forensic Coach of the Year.

MCC’s Richert named Michigan Forensic Coach of the Year.

MACKINAC ISLAND – Mason County Central High School Forensics Team Coach Tom Richert was recently awarded the Michigan Speech Coaches Inc. Forensic Coach of the Year at the Grand Hotel.

The Coach of the Year awards take place each year in conjunction with the MSCI Mackinac Conference and Tournament. The annual awards ceremony was held this year Saturday, May 19, 2018.

After a weekend filled with speech, interpretation, and debate competitions, as well as professional development seminars, the conference ended with a special awards ceremony in the theatre of the Grand Hotel.  Approximately 700 audience members, consisting of MSCI board members, parents, students and alumni, were on hand to celebrate the award and applaud Richert for his outstanding achievement.

  “I was honored to receive this award,” Richert said. “I thanked my team immediately for their dedication and hard work over the years. They earned this too. MCC has had the honor of working in MIFA for 30 years now, and I can’t begin to tell you what is has meant to this rural community.  We have had so much success and I hope more schools could get to the opportunity to compete and be a part of all of these amazing activities.”

Richert has been teaching for 33 years. He has a theatre education degree, communications education degree, and English degree from Western Michigan University. Prior to his 28 years of teaching experience at MCC he was part of the theatre department in West Palm Beach, Florida and had been an instructor at Interlochen Arts Academy.  At MCC, he serves as the head coach of the forensic team and drama director of fall theatre productions. The courses he teaches include Introduction to Theatre, Advanced Drama, English I, Creative Writing, and Film Interpretation.

Richert had a very successful season in 2018 where he coached the MCC Forensic Team to class C/D state champions.  Under his coaching, the forensic team has placed second on three occasions and has placed in the top six in the State of Michigan for 16 years. Over his 28 years of coaching, he has successfully coached 15 State champions. Richert said he is already looking forward to next year’s season.  

“We will begin again in the winter to keep the title and my students are fired up to work hard again next year. I am so proud of this year’s team and all that came before them. I personally have been blessed.”