Joseph Zanko III enters his fourth season as the head coach of the Drew University men's and women's fencing teams in 2025-26.
Over his first three seasons at the Forest, Zanko has led the Rangers to success at both the team and individual levels. On the men's side, Drew finished fourth at the MACFA Championships in 2023 and third at the same meet in 2024. Individually, he has coached three fencers to USFCA All-Region and All-America honors: epee Julio Arias C'24 and foilist Henri Degremont C'26 in 2023, and foilist Michael DeSando C'24 in 2024. He has also coached three fencers to a combined five MACFA medals, including a runner-up showing from DeSando in 2024, while 21 members of the men's team have made a combined 32 appearances at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic/South Region Championships.
Zanko's women's team has also performed well at its conference meets, placing second at the EWFC Championships in 2023 and fourth at the NIWFA Championships in both 2024 and 2025. Drew's showing at the 2024 NIWFA Championships marked the team's top finish at the event in 16 years. He coached epee Caira Blake C'24 to All-Region and All-America honors in both 2023 and 2024 while epee Amira Mutakabbir C'25 earned the same two awards in 2023 and 2025. Mutakabbir and epee Brenna Behensky C'25 each garnered First Team All-NIWFA honors in 2025 after tying for third place at the NIWFA Championships while Blake was a Second Team All-NIWFA honoree in 2024 by virtue of her fifth-place performance. In addition, Zanko has coached five women's fencers to a combined seven All-EWFC honors while 17 fencers have made a total of 29 appearances at the NCAA Regional Championships. In addition, he coached Filiz Erdogan C'29 to the USFCA Foil Newcomer of the Year award in 2025.
Zanko came to Drew following an outstanding stint as the head girls fencing coach at Montgomery (N.J.) High School, where he guided the Cougars to the three conference championships, two county championships, and the 2022 state title. His team held a No. 1 state ranking throughout the entire 2021-22 season, which culminated in a 19-8 victory over No. 6 Columbia in the state final.
Prior to his time at Montgomery, Zanko served as the head coach of both the boys and girls varsity programs at Gill St. Bernards's School (N.J.) from 2015-19 and the assistant boys and girls coach at Lawrenceville (N.J.) High School in 2014-15.
In addition, Zanko has worked as the head sabre coach for Manchen Academy of Fencing since 2020. His coaching career began at the Hub City Fencing Academy, where he provided instruction for all three weapon classes from 2011-20.
Zanko is a 2008 graduate of Fordham University, where he was a member of the school's club fencing program. He earned a bachelor of art's degree in history and philosophy.
