Mika'il Sankofa
Mika'il Sankofa, a three-time Olympian and two-time national champion, was named head coach of the Stevens men's fencing program in July 2004. Sankofa becomes just the seventh coach in the 61-year history of the program.
"Mika'il Sankofa has an outstanding background as both a competitive fencer and a coach and we feel very fortunate to hire an individual of his caliber," said athletic director Russell Rogers. "His record as an Olympian speaks for itself and I am confident that he will be able to take our men's fencing program to a new level."
Sankofa has an outstanding record as a competitive sabre fencer. A member of the United States Olympic Team in 1984, 1988 and 1992, he reached the pinnacle of his sport when he captured U.S. national sabre championships in both 1991 and 1992. A 1988 graduate of New York University, Sankofa was also a four-time NCAA champion for the Violets, capturing the sabre title in 1984, 1985, 1986 and 1987. He received the NYU Chancellor's Award for Leadership upon his graduation in 1988. In 1995, he was inducted into the NYU Sports Hall of Fame.
Since 1990, Sankofa has served as Director of Athletics and fencing coach for the Peter Westbrook foundation - a grassroots organization designed to enrich the lives of New York City youth academically, socially and athletically through the sport of fencing. He was responsible for running a year-round class for over 100 participants, including a number of elite level athletes. Among Sankofa's students include three NCAA champions and the top-ranked under-14 sabreist in the nation.
He has also served as head fencing coach at the United Nations International School and the head sabre coach at the Fencing Center of Long Island.
A native of Long Island, Sankofa currently resides in New York City.
In 2006 Sankofa received his Maestro’s degree with honors from Semmelweis University in Budapest, Hungary.
His notable students include:
| Marty Williams | 2008 US National Junior Sabre Champion |
| Dan Bak | 2008 North American Circuit Junior Sabre Champion
2008 Junior Olympic Sabre Champion
2008 Junior World Team Member |
| Adrian Bak | 2008 Junior World Team Member |
| Loweye Diedro | 2008 Junior World Team Member |
| Luther Clement | 2008 Northeast Region NCAA Sabre Champion
2008 NCAA All-American |
| Sam Roukas | 2007 National Div IA Men’s Sabre Champion
2008 NCAA All-American |
| Ras Davidson | 2006 Junior World Cadet Men’s Sabre Bronze Medalist
2005 Junior Olympic Sabre Champion (Cadet & Junior) |
| Adam Crompton | 2003, 2004, 2006 NCAA Sabre Champion |
