UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State Athletics has announced the addition of Matteo Zennaro as associate head coach for the men's and women's fencing programs. In addition, it was announced that Adam Kaszubowski will serve as interim head coach for the 2023-24 season.
Zennaro had been an assistant for Harvard since 2018. During that span, the Crimson tallied nearly 40 All-Americans between the men's and women's teams. Harvard posted more than 300 wins in dual event competition and notched three top-five finishes at the NCAA Championships. Prior to his time at Harvard, Zennaro was an assistant coach at Ohio State for one season.
Internationally acclaimed, Zennaro served as a foil coach with the Italian Junior National Team from 2007-17. He had an outstanding international career as a competitor as well. Zennaro won gold in men's foil at the 1998 Italian Championship and took home silver at the 1999 Seoul World Championship. He grabbed a second Italian Championship in 2004 and won silver at the Mediterranean Games in 2005.
Zennaro helped lead the Italian men's foil team to a bronze medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. Two years later, he and his teammates captured gold at the 2002 European Championships in Moscow, Russia.
Penn State has won 10 combined NCAA team championships since the gender titles were combined in 1995-96, as well as six women's titles and three men's titles prior to that season. The Nittany Lions last won an NCAA team championship in the 2013-14 campaign.
Penn State fans are encouraged to follow Penn State fencing via Twitter at @pennstatefen, on Instagram @pennstatefen and on Penn State Fencing's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pennstatefencing.