Joseph Zanko III enters his third season as the head coach of the Drew University men's and women's fencing teams in 2024-25.
Over his first two 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. Zanko has also coached three fencers to a combined five MACFA medals, including a runner-up showing from DeSando in 2024, while 13 members of the men's team have made a combined 20 appearances at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Region Championships.
Zanko's women's team has also performed well at its conference meets, placing second at the 2023 EWFC Championships and fourth at the 2024 NIWFA Championships, marking 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. Blake was also an All-NIWFA honoree in 2024 by virtue of her fifth-place finish at the NIWFA Championships. In addition, Zanko has coached five women's fencers to a combined seven All-EWFC honors while 12 fencers have made a total of 17 appearances at the NCAA Regional Championships.
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.
