Douglas Tschetter to be Inducted Into NSDA Hall of Fame

Douglas Tschetter, a longtime debate coach at Milbank High School, will be inducted into the National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) Hall of Fame. Mr. Tschetter will receive the accolade –  the highest honor that can be awarded to a high school speech and debate coach – posthumously during the 100th National Speech and Debate Tournament in Des Moines, Iowa, on Thursday, June 19.

The 11-coach list of 2025 inductees includes several four, five, and six-diamond coaches, however, Mr. Tschetter is the only one of the group to have achieved the rare feat of eight Diamond Awards. 

“Mr. Tschetter’s commitment, consistency, and passion for coaching earned him eight Diamond Awards, placing him fourth all-time among thousands of coaches,” wrote James Copeland, biographer for the NSDA Hall of Fame. “Mr.Tschetter stands in rare company. Hundreds of coaches have earned multiple diamonds, but fewer than 50 have reached the milestone of four or more. Mr.Tschetter doubled that,” Copeland said.  

He was the seventh person in the history of the nation to achieve his seventh coaching diamond. In 2016, he received his eighth diamond. In 2018, he entered the Hall of Fame of the South Dakota Coaches Association. 

A native South Dakotan, Mr. Tschetter was born in Huron and graduated from  Doland High School and South Dakota State University. He received education degrees in speech and theatre and English in 1976. His teaching and coaching career spanned nearly four decades, primarily at Milbank High School, where from 1978 to 2014, he guided students to state and national recognition. He was named the South Dakota Debate Coach of the year four times during his career. He advised the National Forensic League (National Speech and Debate Association) chapter and also helped to institute the debate camp and workshop held on the campus of SDSU for over 25 years.  Mr. Tschetter passed away in June 2019.

 In January 2023, Milbank High School hosted the inaugural Doug Tschetter Novice Championship Debate Tournament.  MHS head debate coach Kathy Tyler said, “Mr. Tschetter was revered by many as one of the top debate coaches in the nation, and he had a special place in his heart for novice debaters.”  The event attracted students from across eastern South Dakota. Judges included former debaters from many cities in South Dakota, one from Tennessee, numerous Minnesotans, former students from Missouri, and Iowa, and a UCLA staff member. Over fifty people from the Milbank community also volunteered to be judges. The tournament will mark its fourth annual event next January. 

“Mr. Tschetter’s extraordinary record and lifelong dedication to student growth, competitive excellence, and the spirit of the NSDA make him not only deserving of Hall of Fame induction — but emblematic of what it means to be a coach in the truest sense,” stated Copeland. 

Mr. Tschetter’s fellow 2025 inductees include Susan L. Anderson of North Dakota, Leonard Augustine, Jr. of Louisiana, Janice Caldwell of Texas, Lois Gorne of Washington, Chuck Nicholas of South Carolina, Suzanne Terry of Tennessee, James Wakefield of Florida, Derek Yuill of California, and Dr. Sandra Berkowitz and Shane Stafford of Minnesota.