Stuart Holmes

Stuart has been involved in the sport of fencing for over 17 years. Stuart has a unique coaching philosophy and feels that each student should receive a personalized approach. While developing the strength, skills, and techniques needed to succeed at the highest levels of fencing, he also believes that each fencer should develop a strong understanding of the sport and the intricacies of different strategies.

Stuart started fencing at Centereach High School on Long Island where he was county champion in 2009. He then began to train under Jennie Salmon at Mission Fencing Center. Stuart went on to compete on the Division 1 fencing team at Sacred Heart University, capturing four consecutive conference titles. He captained the team for his last two years, helping the team break into the top ten at #9 in 2011. During his college years, Stuart was a 4-time All-Conference Selection (3 First Team and 1 Second Team), NFC Fencer of the year in 2013, and a 2-time NCAA Championship qualifier. Since college, he has won numerous national medals at Division 1 North American Cups (NAC’s) and Summer National Fencing Championships, including gold at the Division 1A National Championship in 2014. He has also anchored for multiple team events at NAC’s and Summer Nationals, earning multiple medals. Stuart has also competed internationally, after being selected to represent Team USA in multiple international events.

Stuart began his coaching career as an assistant coach for Sacred Heart University in 2013. During his time there, he helped coach the men’s team to two additional conference championships while also coaching three men’s foil NCAA championship qualifiers and one men’s foil All-American. After leaving Sacred Heart University, Stuart coached at Silver City Fencing Club (SCFC) from 2016 - 2023. While at SCFC, many of his students had medaled in the CT High School Fencing Championships, including one state champion. His students have consistently been recruited to fence at prestigious collegiate programs including Brandeis, Drew, Penn State, Sacred Heart, Steven’s Tech, Wagner, and Yale.

In addition to being a competitor and a coach, Stuart is also a nationally rated referee. Stuart earned his MBA from Sacred Heart University in 2015. He is currently the Director of Student Financial Assistance at Sacred Heart University.