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Christine Griffith, the new Head Coach of the Men's and Women's Fencing programs. Photo credit: Haverford Athletics on Instagram.

Christine Griffith Appointed New Head Fencing Coach at Haverford College Following Intensive Hiring Process

With the 2024-2025 season approaching and 17th-year Head Coach Chris Spencer retiring, the Haverford College fencing team looks forward to revamping its program under newly hired coach Christine Griffith. Griffith boasts an impressive background that includes roles at the U.S. Air Force Academy and Cleveland State University, but her appointment was not the result of a quick decision. Selecting the new head coach was a comprehensive and team-involved effort that spanned months, ensuring the right person was chosen to lead the program.

Unlike other collegiate athletic programs, the athletes were heavily involved in the hiring process. “The hiring process for our new Head Men’s and Women’s Fencing Coach was extensive,” according to junior foilist and Division III All-American Honorable Mention Michael Pyo ‘26, who served on the search committee as the primary representative for the team. “I signed a confidentiality agreement to maintain strict confidentiality throughout and after the search process.” Pyo explained. By the time the committee had narrowed down the candidates, the entire fencing team had the opportunity to meet the finalists virtually. “The team was able to review their resumes and application materials. After the Zoom meetings, team members filled out an anonymous Google form that asked them which candidate they preferred and why,” Pyo noted.

The team had strong leadership last season, particularly among the seniors in the epee and sabre squads, and the foil squad came close to a conference championship, falling just one bout short to Johns Hopkins. Despite producing standout individual performances, including their first All-Americans for Haverford since 2011 and ten fencers qualifying for NCAA regionals, the team felt room for further growth and team success.

As the team considered potential coaches, certain expectations were deemed critical to finding the right fit for the fencing team members. “Our team was looking for someone with experience in recruiting,” Pyo explained. “We also sought someone with good administrative, interpersonal, and communication skills. We valued individual collegiate NCAA experience as well as any NCAA coaching experience.”

Griffith’s diverse coaching background and passionate personality ultimately helped her rise to the top of the candidates’ list. She has extensive experience as a Head Coach of Division I Cleveland State University and as an assistant coach of Division I U.S. Air Force Academy, which stood out to Pyo. “Her personality also stood out to me as very passionate, genuine, and fun! She did a lot of research on Haverford and our fencing program, which was evident in our interviews together.”

Griffith, aware of the unique challenges and opportunities ahead, has already made clear her approach for the upcoming season. “We have an amazing team of student-athletes who are eager to challenge themselves, and my first priority coming in is to foster an environment where we can build upon their strengths and grow together as a team,” Griffith explained in her press release. This mindset has set the tone for what promises to be a pivotal year for Haverford fencing.

Pyo and his teammates are eager to see what Griffith will bring to the table regarding team performance, individual performance, and development. “I am extremely excited about Coach Christine Griffith joining the team as our new head coach! She represents a breath of fresh air for our fencing program, and I am thrilled to work with someone of her caliber.”

The search for a new coach had been a source of uncertainty for the team, making Griffith’s appointment all the more satisfying. “Relief—not knowing whether we would have a new coach by the time our season starts was a source of stress for me,” Pyo admitted when asked if he could describe the hiring process being over in one word. “Not only do we have a new coach before our season starts, but we found an excellent coach to help lead and guide us,” Pyo added. 

Looking ahead, the team is excited about the upcoming season, which will feature key returning athletes such as Sophomore epeeist Eric Chen and Pyo himself, both of whom earned Division III All-America Honorable Mention recognition from the United States Fencing Coaches Association. “I am looking forward to working with Coach Christine during practices. I expect this season to be a journey getting to know one another and figuring out each other’s methods and philosophies—that is normal when introducing a new head coach to a team. I am excited to see how she elevates our team to new levels,” Pyo shared.

While fencing is a niche sport that does not always draw widespread attention, the team is hopeful that under Griffith’s guidance, they can increase the program’s visibility on campus. Fencing is one of the only NCAA sports with one combined NCAA National Championship. This means Haverford competes with Division I teams like Penn State, University of Pennsylvania, Duke, Boston College, UNC, Yale, Princeton, etc., and Division III teams like Johns Hopkins, NYU, and MIT in regular, conference, and championship seasons.

The team’s lone home meet this season is scheduled for December 9th. “Since we only have one home meet of the season, there are not many opportunities for Haverford students to be exposed to fencing,” he explained. “It would be cool if we could bring a media specialist to our meets to take some cool videos/photos of our team in action and post them on social media.”

Griffith, for her part, has expressed her enthusiasm about the new role and the potential of the Haverford fencing program. In her press release, she stated, “I look forward to building awareness of all that Haverford College and our fencing program offer.” During her college days, she competed at the collegiate level for the renowned Temple University program. Now, coming full circle, Griffith returns to Philadelphia, bringing her experience and passion for fencing back to the city where she once made her mark. 

 With Griffith now at the helm of Haverford fencing, the team is eager to embark on this next chapter. They are eager to embrace the challenges and opportunities that come with a first-year coach, hoping she can guide them to success this season.

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