Our Coaches
David Dejesa, Program Director
David Dejesa is a former top 10 finalist for Teacher of the Year in Greenville County Schools, two-time president of the South Carolina Speech Coaches’ Association, and current South Carolina National Speech and Debate Association District committee member. He started as a volunteer judge and coach in 2005 before being named program director in 2011.
Greg Cook, Senior Coach
Greg Cook has been involved with the National Speech and Debate Association for thirty years. In high school, he was a finalist at the NSDA national tournament. As a coach, he has worked with students across South Carolina, producing over 100 state champions and numerous national-circuit champions in speech and debate events. A four-diamond coach and former South Carolina Coach of the Year, he has worked with the Riverside team since 2006. Before his current work as a national-brand voice actor and writer, he taught at high school and college levels, specializing in the history of drama, 19th-century British literature, and Victorian intellectual movements.
Heather Brown-Cook, Speech Coach
Heather Brown-Cook is a credit and compliance analyst at TD Synnex Corporation and a former speech competitor. She has degrees in both Theatre and History from Winthrop University. She has coached the team since 2016 and has produced numerous state champions and national qualifiers. In addition to speech and debate, she loves creating stained glass art, reading, and cats.
Pete Martin, Speech Coach
Pete Martin is the web and print designer for the College of Science at Clemson University. He is a two-diamond coach who has been a volunteer coach for the Riverside team since 2011. He has coached numerous state champions and national qualifiers.
Jinsoo Kim, Debate Coach
Jinsoo Kim is a Riverside speech and debate alumnus and currently works as an Asset Liability Manager at TD Bank. He is a one-diamond coach who has been a volunteer coach for the Riverside team since 2019. Under his guidance, Riverside was named a Debate School of Excellence at the 2021 NSDA National Tournament.
Cara Sizemore, Speech Coach
Cara Sizemore is a one-diamond coach, a Riverside speech and debate alumna, and the Senior Instructional Designer at the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES). She graduated from Clemson University with a degree in English. Her favorite event to coach is Original Oratory; she loves helping students improve their written and verbal communication skills. She has coached numerous state champions and national qualifiers.
Rohit Yarlagadda, Debate Coach
Rohit Yarlagadda is a 2019 Riverside speech and debate alumnus and currently works as a Federal Technical Consultant at Appian. He graduated from the University of South Carolina and has a love-hate relationship with Gamecock Football. He has helped several students achieve success on the state and national level, including producing several national qualifiers across debate events.