Jennifer Jerome is currently coaching at Millard West High School in Omaha, Nebraska. She has been coaching since 1989 and a member coach since 1996. She is a member of the NSDA Board of Directors. She has served on the Nebraska District Committee since 2002, serving as chair multiple times. In 2010, she was the local director for the NCFL Grand National Tournament held in Omaha and has served at the Archdiocese of Omaha League Director since 2006. Jennifer was awarded the James Thurber Distinguished Teacher award by the Nebraska Speech Communication and Theater Association in 2010. She also sits on the Board of Directors for Guided by Kids, a non-profit in Omaha, NE that gets students involved with their community by teaching critical thinking skills through speech and debate. She was the NSDA Nebraska State Educator of the Year in 2018. She has been awarded the NSDA Nebraska District Coach of the Year in 2015 and 2018. Along with numerous state champions and state finalists, Jennifer has coached students to out rounds, including finals, at all levels of national competition, including the 2018 NIETOC Expository Champion. In 2019, Jennifer was the coach of the NSDA Student of the Year. Jennifer is a four-diamond coach.
Location: Carolina Session 1
Brian Manuel
Brian is the Director of Debate at Edgemont Jr./Sr. High School in New York and Director of Policy Debate at Stanford University, in addition to serving as a consultant for the National Speech & Debate Association. Widely recognized for his unrivaled talent in revitalizing traditional programs, Brian was named the 2008 Michael Bacon Coach of the Year and 2016 Val A. Browning Director of the Year. He has been coaching for nearly 20 years and was recently elected to the Executive Board of the National Debate Coaches Association.
Under his leadership, Edgemont’s debate program has flourished, winning five state championships and countless speaker awards, as well as presenting to the House Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill. His students championed the 2015 Georgetown Day School Invitational and 2018 Mamaroneck Round Robin in Policy Debate; 2018 Harrison Round Robin and 2019 Newark Round Robin in Lincoln-Douglas Debate; and 2016 Lakeland Round Robin, 2016 Westchester Classic, 2018 University of Michigan High-School Tournament, and 2019 Lakeland Round Robin in Public Forum Debate. After past outround appearances in Policy and Lincoln-Douglas, Edgemont will be represented in all principal debate events at this year’s Tournament of Champions. Brian has enjoyed equal success at Stanford, where he coached its first team in two decades—and fourth team ever—to qualify for the National Debate Tournament, finishing in the top 30 in both 2013 and 2015.
Over the course of his professional career, Brian has coached for Harvard University, College Preparatory School, Cathedral Preparatory School, Chattahoochee High School, Lakeland High School, and Scranton High School. His students have advanced to elimination rounds at every major national tournament, including NSDA, NDCA, NCFL, and CEDA Nationals. He also coached the champions of the 2003 Big Bronx Invitational, 2008 Barkley Forum, and 2012 Golden Desert Tournament in Policy Debate, along with the 2007 NCFL finalists, 2012 NSDA finalists, and 2013 Phyllis Flory Barton top speaker.
During the summer, Brian serves as the Academic Director at the Stanford National Forensic Institute. He previously taught workshops at the University of Kentucky, University of Michigan, Georgetown University, and Millennial Speech & Debate. Brian is looking forward to his first summer at ISD!