Former Fencing Head Coach Yves Auriol Passes Away

Yves Auriol, head fencing coach at Notre Dame from 1985-2002, has passed away at the age of 87.

Auriol served from 1985-2002 as the head coach of the Irish women’s team, and from 1995-2002 as the head men’s coach. During Auriol’s tenure, Notre Dame fencers combined for 69 All-America honors (including eight NCAA Champions), plus five academic All-American citations.

“We are so saddened to hear of Yves’s passing,” said Head Fencing Coach Gia Kvaratskhelia. “His contribution to Notre Dame Fencing was immense, as his presence and efforts showed everyone that we were serious about making our women’s program the best in the country. 

“More importantly, he was an amazing person with a generous heart and wonderful sense of humor. His work of serving young people wherever he was will live on in their lives and the lives they touch. We will dedicate our upcoming DeCicco Duals to his memory.”

His 1987 squad claimed the women’s NCAA title, while his ’94 women’s squad helped Notre Dame win the NCAA combined title. In seven other seasons under Auriol, Irish teams finished as the NCAA runner-up – including every year from 1996-2000. Auriol was named the national coach of the year in 2001 and 2002.

Born on August 12, 1937, he was a native of Toulouse, France. He graduated in 1955 from Lycée de Toulouse and earned a degree as a fencing master from the Institut National du Sport in Paris, and was a professional rugby player.

He moved to Portland in 1972 and founded the Salle Auriol Fencing Club. From 1975-1985, Auriol was the women’s fencing coach at Portland State. He was a coach for the United States Olympic team in three Olympiads (1980-1988), and has been enshrined in the US Fencing Hall of Fame. Auriol was presented with an honorary monogram by the National Monogram Club in 2001.

Upon retirement, he and his wife Georgette moved to Las Vegas, where he served as head coach at the Fencing Academy of Nevada, and whose products include former Irish epeeists Nicole Ameli, Kimberlee Montoya and Zachary Zeller.

Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Georgette (Jo) and his son, Stephane ‘99, who was a four-time monogram winner and two-time foil captain.