CLEVELAND, Ohio - James Fazekas, a Cleveland State graduate with more than 35 years of competitive fencing experience, has been named the head men's and women's fencing coach at Cleveland State.

"I am delighted to return to my Alma Mater to coach the men's and women's fencing programs," Fazekas said. "We have an unbroken history of fielding fencers stretching back to 1932 when CSU was Fenn College and I am privileged to carry on that tradition preparing our current CSU student-athletes to fully benefit from the opportunities of the quality education to be gained at CSU, as well as sharing their journey to being the best that they can be."

Fazekas, who is currently coaching at "Hooked on Fencing" in North Royalton, lettered in fencing at CSU in 1974 and 1975. He was a co-captain of the 1974 team and captained the 1975 squad. In 1975, Fazekas competed at the Great Lakes Regional Championships, earning first team honors in sabre and also qualified for the NCAA Championship. A native of Cleveland, Fazekas was named the CSU Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 1975.

He began his collegiate career at Cuyahoga CC, earning Most Improved Fencer honors in 1971-72.

After graduation, Jim was offered a teaching position in Sydney, Australia where he fenced competitively until 1980 and represented Australia internationally at the 1977 & 1979 Oceanic Zone Fencing Championships and the 1979 World Fencing Championships.

On his return to the United State, he completed his Maitre' Armes d'Escrime under Maitre' Jean-Jacques Gillet at the American Fencing Academy and coached at Cornell University until 1985. Fazekas returned to Australia where he coached at the Australian Institute of Sport until 1992.

Fazekas remained active as a coach, coach educator and referee until 1998 when he was employed by IBM to develop and manage the results system for Fencing at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. He remained with IBM in Sydney until July 2010 when he returned to Cleveland where he now works at PNC Bank as an IT Infrastructure Service Manager and coaches locally at the Hooked on Fencing Club with a focus on junior development.             

He completed a Master of Education from the University of South Australia.