Corbit Tabbed to Lead Caltech Fencing Program

PASADENA, Calif. – Caltech Athletic Director Betsy Mitchell has named Carla Corbit as head coach of the Beaver fencing teams. Corbit has served as the assistant coach at Caltech for the last three years.

“I am pleased to announce that Carla Corbit has accepted our offer to elevate her from assistant to our head coaching position. As my search unfolded last, it became immediately clear that elevating Carla was the right step for us.  Our conversation gave me confidence in her ability to teach and train our team given the scope of our program from beginner to advanced athletes,” Mitchell said.

The native of Seattle, Wash., has over 20 years of international fencing experience on her resume. She has coached U.S. National Champions as well as World Cup medalists. She is a two-time recipient of the United State Fencing Association coaches award.

Her ties to fencing in the great Los Angeles area run deep. She is the founder of the United State Fencing Center in Los Angeles. Corbit also serves as the Director of the Beverly Hills Fencing Club. She is also a certified California Interscholastic Federation certified coach.

“Caltech is a very demanding school academically, so recruiting is tougher than at Stanford or Princeton. Finding athletes from within our school is very important to our program. I believe that we have a great potential to take this program and develop it into a strong fencing team with many facets. Over the last few years at Caltech as the assistant coach, I have worked with a remarkable group of student athletes. Their drive and commitment to the team has made me proud every time I step onto the gym floor and now as head coach I am filled with the belief that our team can do anything,” Corbit said.

Corbit has coached numerous junior Olympians as well as U.S. National and Pan American Youth Medalists. In each of the last two seasons, she played an instrumental role in Laura Decker’s participation at the NCAA National competition. Corbit helped coach five fencers to the NCAA West Regional competition last season.

“Her optimistic and energetic outlook and passion for fencing was only surpassed by her desire to assist young people in any way possible.  Finally, her communication and organizational skills are what we need to move the program forward,” Mitchell said.

“I would like to improve the fencing program in a few different directions making it a larger program with deeper layers from the beginning fencer to the elite athlete. We want to develop into a stronger competitive force, attracting the higher level athletes to our fencing program,” Corbit concluded.

The Beavers upcoming schedule is in its final stages of completion for the 2011-2012 season.