CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – After over 30 years at the helm of the MIT men's and women's fencing teams, head coach Jarek Koniusz has announced that he will retire at the conclusion of the 2025-26 season.
 
"It is hard to believe, but my 34-year-long, great adventure with MIT is about to end in May 2026," said Koniusz. "I am forever grateful to my predecessor Eric Sollee and his alumni, who trusted and believed in me and have been supporting me and both our varsity teams for many years. Over these three fantastic decades, I have met a ton of phenomenal people and learned a great deal from my peers, from professors across the street, from our administrators, and especially from my students."

A six-time Northeast Fencing Conference Coach of the Year, Koniusz began his intercollegiate coaching career at Baruch College in 1990, first taking the helm of the men's program. The following season, he was charged with leading both the men's and women's squads. Koniusz joined the MIT fencing program in 1992 as assistant coach to Eric Sollee, and, in 1994, was appointed the head coach, becoming just the second coach in the history of the women's program.

"For over three decades, Jarek has been a mentor, role model, and inspiration to countless student-athletes," said Dr. G. Anthony Grant, Director of Athletics and DAPER Department Head at MIT. "Through his passion for fencing and unwavering dedication to coaching and teaching, Jarek built a program defined by excellence, integrity, and community. He leaves behind a legacy that will continue to inspire future generations of fencers both here at MIT as well as on the international stage. We wish Jarek the best as he embarks on his retirement at the conclusion of the season."

He went on to build MIT into a perennial powerhouse, qualifying 52 fencers to the NCAA National Collegiate Championship and guiding the Engineers to 26 New England Championship titles during his tenure. He coached Caroline Purcell '02 during her epic performance at the 2000 NCAA Championship where she captured the gold medal in women's saber. In 2009, Koniusz was a recipient of the MIT Excellence Award, which is awarded to an individual who exemplifies the ideals of fostering community.

It has been amazing to see the growing number of my own alumni, getting to know their families, hearing their success stories, and receiving text messages on my birthday from people who graduated 20-30 years ago," said Koniusz. "It is an unbeatable feeling. Without any hesitation, I must say that my fencing teams have become part of my closest family."

Coached by Ed Korfanty, the U.S. Olympic Team Coach who led Mariel Zagunis to Olympic gold medals in 2004 and 2008, Koniusz competed internationally for Poland's national team for nearly two decades. He earned two individual medals at the World Championships (bronze in 1981 and silver in 1989) and was a medalist at several World Cups. In 2002, Koniusz was honored by the Polish Fencing Federation with a Lifetime Achievement Award, given to the fencer who has made a lasting contribution to Polish fencing in its 75-year history. In the same year, he was selected by the U.S. Fencing Federation to coach the United States saber team in the World Cup competition held at Koblenz, Germany. Koniusz also assisted with the bronze-medal-winning U.S. men's saber team at the 2010 Junior World Championship in Baku, Azerbaijan. From 2021-2023 Koniusz was in charge of the individual lesson program for Eli Dershwitz, leading to the first gold medal saber performance for the United States at the 2023 Senior World Championship in Milano.
 
"There are no words that can describe how appreciative and indebted I feel to my wonderful wife Mariola for always being by my side, raising our daughter Patrycja, and then helping in raising her daughter Hanna and enduringly sharing my passion for teaching and coaching," said Koniusz. "I would also like to express my gratitude to my direct supervisors for giving me a lot of freedom in running my programs over these years. I always felt appreciated and heard. It is a great sensation to hear satisfactory remarks from students, their parents, and the Athletic Director about the successes of the MIT Fencing Program. It is also an amazing feeling to realize that, to quote Frank Sinatra: 'I did it my way.'"

Koniusz will be on sabbatical during the fall semester with Arpad Horvath serving as the acting head coach. He will return to coach his final semester with the team in 2026.
 
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Supporters of the MIT fencing program who wish to make a gift in celebration of Jarek's career and retirement are asked to give to the Joseph F. Rafidi (2014) Fencing Endowment Fund.