Head Fencing Coach Vincent Paragano is a certified NCAA/USA Fencing professional fencing coach. Paragano is the men's and women's Head Fencing Coach at Drew University (NCAA Division III), taking over the reins of the program midway through the 2014-2015 college season. Over the past five-plus seasons, he has led the Drew Rangers to an astounding total of over 370 dual-meet victories (among the top Division III Programs in the USA). To top it off, in 2021 he led the team to the NCAA Fencing National Championships as the first Division III program to qualify a full men’s roster. Eight of his fencers (six men and two women) were selected as NCAA/USFCA Division III All-Americans. Fittingly, Coach Paragano was selected by NCAA/USFCA as the 2021 Division III Men’s Team Coach of the Year and as the 2021 Division III Women’s Team Coach of the Year.
Coach Paragano was previously selected by his peers as 2019 Fencing Coach of the Year by the Middle Atlantic Collegiate Fencing Association (MACFA). He was previously honored as the 2018 Fencing Coach of the Year by MACFA and as the 2016 Fencing Coach of the Year by the Eastern Women's Fencing Conference (NCAA Division III).
Before leading the Rangers, Coach Paragano was one of the founders (and Head Coach) of the Bernards High School fencing program and the Governor Livingston High School (Berkeley Heights, N.J.) fencing program.
As a high school Head Coach, Paragano was named New Jersey High School Fencing Coach of the Year three times by the New Jersey Interscholastic Fencing Association and was honored as High School Fencing Coach of the Year in 2009 by the Newark Star Ledger. Paragano is also the only Head Coach in New Jersey High School fencing history to lead two different teams to the prestigious Santelli Team Championship.
Paragano's high school programs amassed an outstanding 290-23 record over 15 years and won the 2009 NJSIAA State Team Championship, two Santelli Team Championships, six State Squad Championships, and eight District Championships. His teams also produced more than 80 future NCAA-level fencers, including two future All-Americans and one USA Fencing National Champion. Paragano and his 2013-2014 Bernards High School team were also featured in the full-length documentary film, "Fencing For The Edge."
Paragano is also an experienced National and International-level competitor. Most recently, he brought home gold medals in Veterans Saber at the 2018 Pan American Veterans Championships (El Salvador), 2017 Pan Americans Veterans Championships (St.Thomas, VI), 2017 SGA National Veterans Fencing Championship, and 2016 Pan American Veterans Championships (Ponce, PR) and a bronze medal at the 2015 Pan American Veterans Championships (Lima, Peru). He is also a three-time winner of the New Jersey Veterans Cup in saber.
