Fatima Largaespada - Fencing Coach - University of North Carolina Athletics

Fatima Largaespada

Title:
Assistant Coach
Email:
fatimals@unc.edu

Fatima "Fati" Largaespada completed her third season as an assistant coach for the North Carolina fencing team during the 2023-2024 season.

She joined the Tar Heels' coaching staff in November of 2021, bringing to Chapel Hill experience as both a former head coach and current international-caliber fencer.

“We are so happy to welcome Fati to our family,” Jednak said. “She has such an amazing energy and passion for fencing and teaching. I'm very excited for her to share her experiences with our team and I know that she will be a valuable part of our program.”

Largaespada works with all aspects of the Tar Heel program, with a focus on the foil fencers. In addition to coaching, she continues to fence competitively in sabre and represented the Nicaraguan National Fencing Team at the 2020 Olympic Trials.

Largaespada served as head coach at Wagner through the program’s first two seasons, managing all aspects of the program including recruiting, equipment and facilities, in addition to coaching. She began the 2016-17 school year with just two fencers on the roster, but eventually built the fledgling program to 14 fencers and saw several of her Seahawks qualify for NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regionals in both 2017 and 2018.

After completing her MBA at Wagner, she spent a year working in consulting before returning to coaching in August of 2019 at the Tim Morehouse Fencing Club in New York City. She spent two years there, coaching a wide range of skill levels, including more than 20 fencers competing in regional and national competitions.

During her collegiate fencing career at Temple, Largaespada placed in the top 20 nationally three times, in 2013-15, and in the Mid-Atlantic Region top 10 twice.

Also fluent in Spanish and conversational in Italian, Largaespada graduated from Temple in 2016 with a degree in public relations.

“Coaching at the college level means so much to me because it’s a way to give others the opportunities that were given to me,” Largaespada said. “But coaching for UNC means even more. This place and its people feel like home already and I’m excited to help develop our talented athletes into the leaders of tomorrow.”