The MDTA Coach of the Year Award was established in 1982 to recognize coaches who:
- Have succeeded in cultivating a well-balanced debate program which serves a variety of students at all levels of competition;
- Have developed/assisted in developing a stable debate program that has remained vital over a period of years;
- Have promoted admirable qualities in the students who participate in debate; and
- Have done a fine job of preparing students for competition.
This award is presented annually. Nominations are made via a ballot in the MDTA newsletter. Nominations, accompanied by a written rationale, are sent to an Awards Committee, appointed by the President, for review. A ballot containing no more than three names is sent to the membership for vote. The recipient is recognized at the state debate tournament with an appropriate plaque. A coach may receive the award more than once, but not within a five-year period. Two coaches have received the Coach of the Year Award twice: Barbara Kersten, former coach at Roseville High School, received the Coach of the Year Award in 1986 and in 1992, and Todd Hering, coach at Eastview High School, received the award in 2000 and 2013.
| 2024 | Matt Davis | St. Croix Prep |
| 2023 | Tammy Trout McIntyre | Eastridge High School |
| 2022 | Rachel Baumann | Farmington High School |
| 2021 | Deserea Niemann | Lakeville Schools |
| 2020 | Chris Stinson | Minneapolis South High School |
| 2019 | Cort Sylvester | Rosemount High School |
| 2018 | Robyn Madson | Forest Lake High School |
| 2017 (tie) | Zach Prax | Eastview High School |
| 2017 (tie) | Katie Scholz | East Ridge High School |
| 2016 | Dave Pritschet | Brainerd High School |
| 2015 | Shane Stafford and Sandy Berkowitz | The Blake School |
| 2014 | Tom Fones | St. Paul Academy |
| 2013 (tie) | Todd Hering | Eastview High School |
| 2013 (tie) | Sheila Peterson | Wayzata High School |
| 2012 | Andy Charrier | Lakeville Schools |
| 2010 | Aneesh Sohoni | Wayzata High School |
| 2009 | Jason Johnson | Henry Sibley High School |
| 2008 | Peter Nikolai | St. Paul Central Senior High School |
| 2007 | Chris McDonald | Eagan High School |
| 2005 | DJ Brynteson | Robbinsdale Cooper High School |
| 2004 | Mike Bietz | Edina High School |
| 2003 | Lynn Schmitt | Edina High School |
| 2002 | Conrad Anderson | South St. Paul high School |
| 2001 | Joe Schmitt | Edina High School |
| 2000 | Todd Hering | Eastview High School |
| 1999 | Robert Groven | Rosemount High School |
| 1998 | Tom Backen | Benilde St. Margaret’s School |
| 1997 | Norman Leistikow | Bloomington Jefferson High School |
| 1996 | Pam Cady | Apple Valley High School |
| 1995 | Gail Sarff | Wayzata High School |
| 1994 | Helen Fisk | St. Paul Academy and Summit School |
| 1993 | Susan Clark | Lakeville High School |
| 1992 | Barbara Kersten | Roseville High School |
| 1991 | Lee Alto | Grand Rapids High School |
| 1990 | Dorothy Sunne | Forest Lake High School |
| 1989 | Wayne Brinton | Apple Valley High School |
| 1988 | Douglas Johnson | Brainerd High School |
| 1987 | James Graupner | Stillwater High School |
| 1986 | Barbara Kersten | Roseville High School |
| 1985 | Gregory Dawson | The Blake School |
| 1984 | Randall Keillor | St. Francis High School |
| 1983 | Robert Ihrig | Mankato West High School |
| 1982 | Merle Bauder | Grand Rapids High School |