Coaching Staff


Samford's coaching staff is nationally recognized, having won numerous

debate and coaching awards.

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Ryan Galloway

Assistant Professor of Communication Studies

Director of Debate

Samford University

    Ryan debated for George Mason University, and qualified for the National Debate Tournament three times, advancing to the elimination rounds as a junior and senior.  Ryan received numerous top ten speaker awards at major national circuit tournaments including the top speaker award at the 1993 Kentucky Tournament. As a coach, Ryan has coached teams to the late elimination rounds of every major national tournament in the country, including numerous teams to the deep elimination rounds of the National Debate Tournament.  In 2005, Ryan coached the National Debater of the Year. 

    Ryan has judged the final round of the National Debate Tournament in 1997, 1998, 2002, and 2006, was named the fifth highest ranked judge in the country at the 2004 Wake Forest Debate Tournament, and was named the fifth best judge in the country in the 2006 Debater's Choice Awards.  Ryan has been the critic of the year for the Southeast CEDA region, the critic of the year for the North Central region, and was named the graduate student of the year for District Six in 2002.  Ryan also wrote the topic paper for the winning 2006-2007 college debate resolution.  Ryan is currently an assistant professor in the Communication Studies Department at Samford University.  He "enjoys" golf, but is not used to actually seeing the ball travel very far or go in the hole.

Contact Information: 
rwgallow@samford.edu
(205) 726-2695

 

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Abi Williams

Debate Coach

Lecturer in Communication Studies

    Abi debated for the University of Alabama, where she twice qualified for the National Debate Tournament and was ranked one of the top twenty teams in the country her senior year.  Abi has received numerous debate and coaching awards, including the graduate student of the year for the Southeast Central region in 2007, the second rated critic at the University of Vanderbilt debate tournament, and was chosen to judge the final round of the Cross-Examination Debate Association National Debate Tournament in only her second year as a judge. 
    Abi is currently a lecturer in the Communication Studies Department at Samford University.  She and her husband Anthony had their first child, a daughter named Mariah Elyse, in November. 

Contact Information: 
awilliam@samford.edu
(205) 726-2049