Tommie Lindsey

Tommie Lindsey is an American speech and debate coach who spent the majority of his career at James Logan High School in Union City, California.

Early life and education Lindsey was born into a large family in Mississippi and had eight siblings. His family moved to West Oakland in the 1950s. After high school, he received a scholarship to attend the University of San Francisco, where he was active in the student body. In 2000, he was named "National Forensics Coach of the Year." In 2002, he was awarded the Thomas Glenn Pelham award by the Barkley Forum.

Lindsey and the James Logan team were the subjects of the PBS documentary Accidental Hero: Room 408, which premiered in 2002. The documentary followed him as he attempted to raise money for the team after the school cut the team's budget. Lindsey was the recipient of a MacArthur Grant in 2004, which awarded him $500,000 to continue building the James Logan speech and debate team. He was the first high school teacher to receive a MacArthur Grant.

In 2006, Lindsey wrote It Doesn't Take a Genius with Randall McCutcheon. The book was published by McGraw Hill Education.

Lindsey retired in 2017.

Personal life Lindsey is married and has two children.

Works It Doesn't Take A Genius: Five Truths to Inspire Success in Every Student. Authors Randall McCutcheon, Tommie Lindsey, McGraw-Hill, 2006,