Princeton University Athletics
Michel Sebastiani To Retire Following 2005-06 Season
June 23, 2005 | Men's Fencing
June 23, 2005
Michel Sebastiani, one of the most accomplished coaches in the history of intercollegiate fencing, will be retiring at the conclusion of the 2005-06 season, his 25th at Princeton.
"The Department of Athletics and Princeton University appreciate the tremendous job that Michel has done here," said Director of Athletics Gary Walters. "Michel has left an impressive legacy through his work with Princeton's fencing program."
Sebastiani, who will be 68 at the time of his retirement, has guided the men's program to a 199-84 overall record and the women's program to a 126-82 record. Under his guidance the teams have combined to win nine Ivy League championships and six IFA national championships. He has coached three NCAA individual men's champions and one NCAA individual women's champion. Sebastiani's men's teams have finished in the top four of the NCAA or IFA 16 different times.
The men's team has had 19 straight winning seasons, while the women have had a winning record 11 of the last 12 years.
Sebastiani, a native of France, holds two master's degrees from the National Institute of Sports in Paris. Before becoming a fencing coach, he was a member of the French national modern pentathlon team for the 1960 Olympic Games and an officer in the French Foreign Legion paratroopers.
He formerly headed the top fencing academy in the country in Houston, and in November of 2001, Sebastiani opened the only existing fencing center in Princeton, N.J., the Cercle D'Escrime de Princeton-Sebastiani.