Cecil Trent Coaching Award

2025 Cecil Trent Excellence in Coaching Award

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We are happy to continue our tradition of honoring the awesome debate coaches that make up our community. Every year we will honor a coach or sponsor that embodies excellence in speech & debate. The recipient will be honored on Friday.

You may nominate candidates using this form: https://forms.gle/xDbzVe2HgYVhGLf3A

Nominations from students, colleagues and community members are all welcome!

The coach that is selected will be someone who is selfless, dedicated to their students and the activity, is active in our community and one who has met great success as a result. Best of luck to all those nominated!

PREVIOUS WINNERS

2019-2020: Perry Beard (Cy-Fair High School)

2020-2021: Cecil Trent (Memorial High School)

2021-2022: Victoria Beard (Spring Woods High School)

2022-2023: Audra Langston (Grand Oaks High School)

2023-2024: Isaac Chao (Heights High School)

About Cecil Trent...

Cecil Trent III (1961-2022) was the legendary 4-Diamond coach of Houston Memorial HS, an eternal advocate for his students, an amazing mentor, a fantastic father, a loving husband and a pillar in our community. Cecil was never interested in glory or wins (though there was never a shortage of them), but what Cecil did care about deeply were his students and what his debate program meant & did for them. Cecil was a coach that empowered his debaters to use what they learned in his program to navigate the difficulties of everyday life. As a member of the Texas Forensic Association’s Hall of Fame, there is no doubt that Cecil’s success was felt by many and his deep belly laugh heard by many others. If you weren’t lucky enough to meet Cecil Trent, know that this was a man who never put himself before his students and was the glue that held much of our community together. We love you, Cecil and we miss you every day.