Northwestern fencing coach Laurie Schiller begins his 31st season at the helm of the Wildcats after guiding NU to a 36-4 record in 2007-08, tying the program's record for wins in a season. It also marks the fourth-straight season the `Cats have reached the 30-win plateau and the sixth time in the program's history. Not only did the Wildcats tie the single-season wins record, but they also placed third at the Midwest Collegiate Conference Fencing Championships and seventh at the NCAA Championships. The seventh-place finish marked the ninth season in a row NU has ended the season in the top-10 nationally. Known as one of the top fencing coaches in the country, Schiller has garnered national recognition throughout his career. In 1998 and most recently 2004, he was voted USFC A Collegiate Coach of the Year. Not only has he been honored with national laurels, but the accomplishments of his teams have led to five Midwest Fencing Conference Coach of the Year awards in the last seven years. Schiller was most recently honored with the award after the 2007-08 season. Schiller added another chapter to his successes after earning a fencing masters from the United States Fencing Coaches' Association (USFCA) in August 2002. The USFCA is a national academy of the Academie d'Armes Internationale (AAI), the world organization of fencing masters. The diplomas awarded through the USFCA are recognized by the AAI and its member national academies throughout the world. The fencing master, the highest level of accreditation, requires an exhaustive practical and oral examination, given by a board of USFCA fencing masters, as well as a written thesis. "It took me a long time to do it, but I'm glad I finally did it," said Schiller. "It was nice to prove to myself that I could do it." After taking over the program in 1978, Schiller has a combined men's and women's record of 955-405 (.702). He holds a place among a very elite club, as he is one of just 28 Division I head coaches to eclipse the 900-win mark. His record as women's coach is even more impressive, at 713-231 (.755). His women's teams have experienced incredible success over the years, finishing with winning records in 29 of his 30 seasons, and eclipsing the 30-win mark six times. The Wildcats have topped 20 wins in 15 of the last 16 years and have a 333-47 since the beginning of the 1997-98 season. Schiller has coached more than 87 percent of the matches in school history (1,280 of 1,506), a stretch which includes 16 seasons as men's head coach prior to the program's move to club status following the 1993-94 season. One of the most respected fencing coaches in America, Schiller was named at the 1991 NCAA Championships to the all-decade team for the 1980s, comprised of fencers, coaches and administrators. A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., Schiller attended Rutgers University, where he was a three-year letterman and co-captain of the Scarlet Knights. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a bachelor's degree in African and Afro-American Studies. Schiller came to NU as a graduate student in 1972 and was awarded a Fulbright-Hays Fellowship in 1976. He received his doctorate in African History in 1982. In addition to his coaching duties, Schiller has taught history at NU. He recently had a book published by the Blue and Gray Education Society on the evolution of the Federal cavalry tactics in the Civil War. Schiller resides in Deerfield, Ill., with his wife, Cathleen Weigley, who serves as the team's armorer. |
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