Notre Dame Fencing
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NOTRE DAME FENCING 2019-20 HISTORY & RECORDS SUPPLEMENT COACHING HISTORY HEAD COACHES Pedro DeLandero ...................................................................................................................................................... 1934-39 Walt Langford ............................................................................................................................................ 1940-43; 1951-61 Herb Melton .............................................................................................................................................................. 1947-50 Michael DeCicco ....................................................................................................................................................... 1962-96 Yves Auriol ...................................................................................................................................women’s team, 1986-2002 .........................................................................................................................................................men’s team, 1996-2002 Janusz Bednarski ....................................................................................................................................................... 2002-14 Gia Kvaratskhelia ..............................................................................................................................................2014-present Pedro Walt Herb Yves Auriol Michael Janusz DeLandero Langford Melton 1986-2002 DeCicco Bednarski 38-12-2 155-35 30-5 Women’s 680-45 623-62 (.750 winning (.816 winning (.857 winning Record: 364-24 (.938 winning (.909 winning percentage) percentage) percentage) (.938) percentage) percentage) 1996-2002 Men’s Record: 161-9 (.947) ASSISTANT COACHES Louis Peck ..............................................................1947-51 Michael Marx ..........................................................1988-92 Brian Duff .................................................................... 1953 Adam Zyczkowski ..................................................1989-90 Michael DeCicco ....................................................1954-61 Attila Tass .................................................................... 1990 John Donlon ................................................................ 1962 Ed Korfanty ............................................................1991-93 Mike Bishko ............................................................1964-66 Ed Baguer ..............................................................1993-95 John Wagner ............................................................... 1965 Jeremy Siek ............................................................1998-99 Mike McQuade ......................................................1966-68 Brian Stone .........................................................1999-2000 Mike Dwyer ................................................................. 1967 Janusz Bednarski ................................................1995-2002 John Klier .................................................................... 1968 Brian Banas .........................................................1999-2001 Rich Deladrier .........................................................1972-73 Igor Stefanic ................................................................ 2000 Rich Hosinski ..........................................................1972-75 James Gaither ............................................................. 2001 Ron Sollitto .................................................................. 1973 Zoltan Dudas ..........................................................2002-06 Doug Daher ............................................................1973-74 Marek Stepien ........................................................2007-11 Tim Taylor ...............................................................1973-76 Gia Kvaratskhelia ...................................................2007-14 Rev. Larry Calhoun .................................................1976-79 Ian Farr ...................................................................2011-14 Tom Coye ...............................................................1976-79 Samir Ibrahimov .................................................2014-2017 Risto Hurme ................................................................ 1977 Cedric Loiseau ................................................2013-present Ed DeVivo ..............................................................1977-79 Buckie Leach ..................................................2016-present Michael Sullivan ............................................1979, 1996-97 Aleks Ochocki ................................................2017-present Greg Mueller ..........................................................1980-81 Dodee Carney ............................................................. 1982 Steve Renshaw .......................................................1982-85 Marc de Jong .............................................................. 1984 Mike Weeks ............................................................1984-85 Rich Daly .................................................................1984-90 Matt Harris .............................................................1986-88 Don Johnson ..........................................................1988-89 2 COACHING HISTORY Men’s Coach of the Year, the 2016 Co- medal at the 1990 Soviet Junior National ACC Men’s Coach of the Year, the 2016 Championship — shortly before Georgia Co-ACC Women’s Coach of the Year and declared its independence — and later the 2017 ACC Women’s Coach of the Year had an impressive 11th-place finish at the for his efforts. 1992 European Championship. Prior to joining the Notre Dame Noted for his tremendous coaching staff, Kvaratskhelia spent 10 communication skills, Kvaratskhelia is years as coach of the Kanza Fencing fluent in Russian, Georgian and English. Club in Salina, Kansas. In that time, He received his bachelor’s degree in Kvaratskhelia transformed Kanza from physical education and sport in 1993 a small recreational club into one from the Georgian State Physical Training of the nation’s top foil centers. His Institute in his hometown of Tbilisi. He fencers at Kanza combined to win three also earned a sports journalism certificate USFA national men’s open foil team from that institution (`92) and pursued championships, with six of his Kanza graduate studies in journalism at Tbilisi fencers going on to compete at the State University in 1993 prior to coming Division I level as scholarship athletes. His to the United States. Kanza fencers combined to be national Kvaratskhelia and his wife, Dani Edson, finalists 15 times, while receiving nearly have one daughter, Maya, and one son, 50 national medals. Alexander. Kvaratskhelia — who became a U.S. citizen in 2004 — immigrated to the Highlights Gia Kvaratskhelia United States in 1994 from the former 2014-present (326-39, .893) Soviet Republic of Georgia. After coming • 2017, 2018 NCAA Team Champions to the U.S., he remained active in his own • 2018 USFCA National Coach of the Year Guiorgie “Gia” Kvaratskhelia (GEE- fencing career by competing in domestic • 2015, 2019 ACC Men’s Coach of the uh KLAW-duh-SKELL-ee-uh) became and international events. He first ventured Year the seventh head coach in Notre Dame into coaching in 1994, assisting Vladimir • 2017, 2019 ACC Women’s Coach of the fencing history in 2014, succeeding Nazlymov (now head coach at Ohio State) Year Janusz Bednarski after having spent at Central Fencing Club in Kansas City • 2016 Co-ACC Women’s Coach of the previous three years as associate and at the satellite Lawrence Fencing the Year head coach and five as an assistant. Club. Two years later, he accepted • 2016 Co-ACC Men’s Coach of the Year Kvaratskhelia is a foil specialist, and is the challenge in Salina and spent 10 • 2013 Midwest Fencing Conference quickly building his legacy as one of the years building Kanza into a nationally Varsity Coach of the Year nation’s top collegiate coaches after recognized club. • 2010-11 U.S. Fencing National Coach leading the Irish to consecutive national Kvaratskhelia began fencing in 1988 of the Year championships in 2017 and 2018 and at the age of 13, progressing quickly and • 2015-16-17-18 ACC Women’s Fencing earning national coach of the year honors becoming a member of the Georgian Championship by the United States Fencing Coaching National Foil Team from 1990-94, fencing • 201-16-17-18 ACC Men’s Fencing Association in 2018. alongside the likes of Vladimir Aptiaouri Championship Since joining the Irish staff in 2007, (a member of the U.S.S.R. foil team • 50 Foil All-Americans Kvaratskhelia has overseen a thriving foil that won gold at the 1988 Olympics). • 15 NCAA Individual Champions program. Irish foilists have qualified the Kvaratskhelia took home the bronze maximum of four foilists each year for NCAA championship play. Since 2008, seven foilists have achieved four-time All-America status with Kvaratskhelia at the helm. Irish foilists have captured eight NCAA individual championships since 2010, including a four-time winner in Lee Kiefer (2013-’14-’15) and two-time winners in Gerek Meinhardt (2010, 2014) and Nick Itkin (2018, 2019). Ariel DeSmet also captured a men’s foil championship as a freshman in 2011. In four of his first five seasons at the helm of the Irish, Kvaratskhelia steered his program to