Kaidanov may not have had the most typical reaction to winning, but there's no denying he's still walking on air these days
By Susan Bedsworth, Athletic Communications Student Assistant
"Great, then it was empty, then it was 'What are we going to do next?' It's stages." That is how Penn State fencing coach Emmanuil Kaidanov responded when asked how it felt to have a 10th national title. Quite the reserved response, but that's Kaidanov. The excitement shown by others who jump around and scream is shown by the ever-present twinkle in his eye. A twinkle which seems to be shining just a bit brighter these days.
Kaidanov has been coaching for over 40 years with the past 25 being at Penn State. Prior to this year, Kaidanov had won nine NCAA titles including six straight and a seventh in a span of eight years during the late '90s.
In addition to winning a 10th national title, 12 team members, all of whom attended the NCAA Championships, were named All-Americans this year. "That's never happened before," said coach. "We've had 11 but never 12." This brings his total number of All-Americans to an unbelievable 164.
The Nittany Lions had a very successful run at the championships this year but Kaidanov is always pushing for more. In terms of individual performances, "they could be better," he said. "I don't think everyone has exhausted all their resources."
With that said, Kaidanov was proud of his team, especially his seniors. "Sophia Hiss, Case Szarwark - they were tremendous."
"Everyone had a hard time at the tournament but they had experience, knowledge and determination," said coach.
Fencing is very popular overseas, but Kaidanov sees tremendous growth stateside in the sport.
"The number of clubs is growing. The number of people actively participating is doubling every few years," he said. "Winning a championship becomes more and more difficult because college programs have more resources and more recruiting ability."
According to Coach Kaidanov though, the increase in competition makes winning a national championship all the more gratifying.
One would think that after winning nine national titles, one more would not feel much different than the previous ones. That isn't the case. "Every time you win, it's like the first time. It's not something you get used to, some people think you would but you don't."
Coach Kaidanov and his team set high goals every year. Beyond always wanting to do their best, he said they are always aiming for a national championship. However, some years are just more realistic than others.
Over the years Kaidanov has racked up some impressive statistics and coached a number of teams and individuals to great success. During his time at Penn State, in addition to the now 10 national titles, he has coached 22 team members to NCAA individual titles. The latest is freshman Doris Willette, who won the gold in women's foil. He has also coached five Olympians with Willette a potential sixth.
In addition, he has immense international experience. He has coached U.S. teams at several international events including the World Championships, the World University Games and the Pan-American Junior Championships.
For now though, Kaidanov seems to be enjoying his win.
"You set a goal and work hard toward it and when you get closer, it gets exciting," he said. "Did we get crazy? No. But it is definitely a gratifying feeling."
Maybe it's not the typical response, but the bright twinkle in his eye alludes to the happiness going on inside him.