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Tom Richert
Spartan News is a presentation of Mason County Central Schools in partnership with Mason County Press.
MACKINAC ISLAND — Retiring Mason County Central High School forensics coach Tom Richert was inducted into the Michigan Speech Coaches Hall of Fame recently. The induction ceremony took place at the Grand Hotel where Richert attended with his wife, Libby, and several current and former team members.
The induction takes place each year in conjunction with the Michigan Speech Coaches Incorporated (MSCI) Mackinac Conference and Tournament, after open nominations from speech coaches across Michigan and a final vote by the MSCI Board of Directors. The annual induction was held on Friday, May 17, 2024.
Richert is retiring at the end of this school year after 34 years at MCC and a total of 39 years teaching. He is only the second forensics coach at MCC; the forensics team began in 1989.
During his tenure coaching he has won over 150 team sweepstake trophies at invitational tournaments held around the state. He has also coached 19 Individual Champions and 93 Individual finalists at the Michigan Interscholastic Forensic Association (MIFA) State Finals. His teams were state runners-up for Class C/D schools four times and in the top 6 for Class C/D schools 23 times.
“I have seen for 34 years the transformative nature of forensics,” Richert said. “Once a student embraces the work, they change for the good. I have had so many parents thank me for what this sport has done for their child. Thanking me for them opening up, and becoming more of a communicator in their homes, and lives. Teachers will say to me that the new student they have this semester must be a forensics student, they have no fear to speak in class. Forensics gives a student the opportunity to grow and become a confident speaker, and the ramifications are endless.
“Our community is small, but our talent has been great.”
Introducing Mr. Richert was MSCI Trustee and Hall of Fame Member Beth Campbell.
“Tom has built the Mason County Central forensic team into a powerhouse,” Campbell said. “He works with students from pre-dawn to post-sunset for months, and his energy is unparalleled… He has removed his own tie, belt, and shoes at various times to hand them to a competitor that didn’t have access to his own. He is a demanding coach with very high standards, but he truly believes his students can and will be successful. Their futures are inevitably shaped by his expectations.”
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