NCFDP Coaching Staff:

Coach Ron Miller, Ph.D., M.d’A.
Head Varsity Fencing Coach
University of North Carolina
Chapel Hill, NC

Ron Miller came to Carolina in 1967 as a physical education instructor. The Kentucky native, who grew up in Florida, brought knowledge of a sport virtually unknown to a southern campus bred on basketball and football. Not only did Miller impart that knowledge to countless students in physical education classes, he established and maintained the South’s dominant fencing program.

Now in his 45th season as Carolina’s fencing coach, Miller’s inspirational dedication to his school, his sport and his teams has come to be recognized as impressive as that of another longtime Carolina icon.

Miller’s influence on his fencing squads parallels that of legendary basketball coach Dean Smith’s impact on former basketball players and coaches. Smith’s October 9, 1997, retirement left Miller as the most tenured coach at Carolina.   More than 140 former fencers, whose numbers included team members from nearly every squad since 1968, gathered at the Dean E. Smith Center on October 18, 1997, to celebrate and honor Miller’s tenure.  Words like commitment, dedication and integrity, all uttered in same building for another coach so recently, were spoken in homage of Ron Miller. NCAA champion fencer, 1992 Olympic fencer and 1983 Carolina alumnus John Friedberg, in thanking Miller, called the Carolina program a “unique, special environment to learn in.”

Miller served as a coach for the U.S. Junior World Team in 1981 and was also the coach for the Senior World Championship Team in 1983. The 1987 Junior Pan American Team was also coached by Miller. From 1985-95, he served as the director of the USFA’s National Coaches College and from 1983-91 he was the director of the USFA’s National Junior Elite Summer Programs. He is a three-time member of the NCAA’s Fencing Committee and is a three-time NCAA Regional Committee Chair. Miller has been a USFA National Coaching Staff member since 1977.

Education and Bio:

• Florida State University, 1966 (B.S. in Physical Education and Psychology)
• Eastern Kentucky University, 1967 (Master’s in Physical Education)
• University of North Carolina, 1976 (Doctorate in Physical Education, Higher Education, Guidance and Psychology)
• Miller is in his 45th year of coaching at Carolina, making him the longest tenured coach at Carolina.
• Miller was named the Collegiate Coach of the Year in 1983 & 1986.
• Thirteen of Miller’s fencers in his 45 years of coaching at Carolina received All-America honors, many several times each.
• Four members of Miller’s teams have been named to the U.S. National Fencing Team.
• Two members of Miller’s teams, John Friedberg (men’s sabre) and Nhi Lan Le (women’s epee) have competed in the Olympics.
• Miller was awarded the “Maitre d’ Armes,” a fencing masters diploma, in 1975.
• Miller’s 2004-05 team broke the 1,000-wins mark on December 5, 2004.
• Career Record:  1240-570;  Men 665-288, Women 575-282

Coach Ron Miller and artist / writer wife Susun Coleman Miller live in Haw River, NC.  Ron has three children: Caroline (married to Trent Walton), Joe and Kurt;  two step children: Myah C. Drumm (married to Brian Drumm) and Grey C. Cook (married to Teresa K Cook).

Josh Webb
Associate Head Varsity Fencing Coach
University of North Carolina
Chapel Hill, NC

After four years as a Tar Heel varsity fencer, Coach Josh Webb is in his seventh season on the program’s staff and serves as the Associate Head Coach. In addition to working with the epee, foil and sabre squads, Webb oversees the program’s recruiting.

A 2003 UNC graduate with a degree in psychology, he was a three-time epee captain and four-year starter, earning second-team All-Region honors as a Tar Heel senior. Upon graduation, he joined the UNC staff.

Prior to coming to Carolina, Webb was a standout multi-sport athlete at Northwest Guilford High School, where he played baseball and basketball and ran cross country. He has also competed in riflery, horseback riding, and swimming.

Webb began fencing in 1993 in order to compete in the Modern Pentathlon. He was a member of the U.S. Tetrathlon Team in 1998 and 2000.

Josh is engaged to Meredith Tozzer.

Matt Jednak
Assistant Varsity Fencing Coach
University of North Carolina
Chapel Hill, NC

Matt Jednak, a 2005 UNC graduate, is in his third year as a member of the Tar Heel staff. A Carolina Tar Heel varsity fencer from 2002 – 05, he qualified for NCAA Regionals each year on the team and served as a team captain in his junior and senior season. He was team elected in 2004 as The Most Outstanding in Men’s Epee. He earned his  UNC degree in mathematics decision sciences. In addition to coaching fencing, he also has coached swimming and has worked in the restaurant business. Matt and wife Ashley live in Pittsboro, NC.

James Murray, M.d’A.
Assistant Varsity Fencing Coach
University of North Carolina
Chapel Hill, NC

James Murray, Fencing Master since 1976, is in his 30th season as a college coach; his second year at UNC.  Coach Murray’s initial head coaching position was at Haverford College for twenty seasons.  He was the women’s head varsity fencing coach at Johns Hopkins for eight years.

Jim coaches  the intermediate and master levels in foil, epee, and sabre at the Virginia Academy of Fencing in Springfield, Va.  UNC is also happy to have him travel to Chapel Hill during the season to assist coaching team practices as well as traveling to UNC varsity competitions.  He coaches NCFDP’s Club on Tuesday nights during the UNC practice season.

Jim trained as a Fencing Master at The American Fencing Academy, a two year program based at Cornell and was also an exchange student at Paris’ L’ Institute National de Sport, the French school for Fencing Masters.

Under Coach Murray’s guidance,  four Army Trophies as runners-up at the NIWFA (National Intercollegiate Women’s Fencing Association) Championships. AND WERE NAMED TOP DIVISION III WOMEN’S TEAM FOUR TIMES.    Coach Murray has twice been honored as the MACFA (Middle Atlantic Fencing Conference) Coach of the Year (1982, 1992) while the coach at Haverford College (1981-2001)

Jim has also coached at The National Sports Festival, assisted the US Team on international trips and served on several NCAA Regional Committees.   He has been involved in countless training camps, clinics and Fencing Master examination boards in his coaching career.

Jim also coached at Salle Santelli (’78-81) in New York City and assisted the legendary Maestro Lajos Csiszar at Salle Csiszar during his twenty years in Philadelphia.

Jim and wife Natalie Blagowidow, MD.,  reside near Baltimore, MD.     They have two sons.

Ivona Puszkarczuk Walker
NCFDP Coach

A Carolina Tar Heel varsity fencer and captain from 2000 – 2004, Ivona Puszkarczuk Walker earned a Bachelor’s degree in English/Psychology while on the team. She was an ACC Honor Roll student athlete at UNC and also sang in the Carolina Choir. In 2005, she earned a Masters of Arts in Teaching – English.

In the summer of 2010, Ivona married UNC Fencing Alum Joe Walker who teaches science and coaches fencing at East Chapel Hill High School. Joe helps with NCFDP from time to time.

In addition to helping out with NCFDP Club and Camps, Ivona teaches high school English at Southern Alamance High School and is a writer.