CLEVELAND, Ohio – Cleveland State Vice President and Director of Athletics Kelsie Gory Harkey names Hector Florencia the head coach of the CSU Men's and Women's fencing teams.
 
"We are thrilled to welcome Coach Florencia as the next leader of our Men's and Women's Fencing programs," Gory Harkey said. "Throughout the search process, Coach Florencia distinguished himself through his commitment to the student-athlete experience, competitive growth and excellence, and a vision for the future of our programs. As a nationally recognized assistant coach with a track record of student-athlete success combined with his passion for mentoring young people, Hector is an outstanding fit for Cleveland State University. Coach Florencia will build on our program's strong legacy and lead our student-athletes to continued success both on the strip and in the classroom."

Florencia arrives at Cleveland State after spending the last two seasons as the assistant coach of the Denison women's fencing team. His time was capped off by being named the Division III Assistant Coach of the Year.

"I am thrilled and honored to be named the next head fencing coach at Cleveland State," said Florencia. "Cleveland State has deep historical roots in fencing that have spanned over 90 years. I am determined to help build an even stronger legacy while aiding in giving our fencers a transformational student-athlete experience."

In his time at Denison, he aided in nine All-Conference & All-Region honorees, six top 15 regional finishers, four All-Americans, and one Division III Newcomer of the Year.

Florencia assisted Denison's women's team to two third-place Central Collegiate Fencing Conference finishes and a ranking of No. 1 in the country for the first time in program history. The team went 65-27 overall during his tenure.

"I want to thank Vice President and Director of Athletics, Kelise Gory Harkey along with Dr. Kendra Greene for this great opportunity and believing in the vision that I have for the program. I also want to thank Peter Grandbois, Head Coach of Denison University Fencing for believing in me and mentoring me to get to this position today."

Along with his role with the women's team at Denison, he helped the men's club team with top 16 results in sabre, top eight in foil, and runner-up in foil at the United State Association of Collegiate Fencing Club Championships in 2026.

Prior to Denison, Florencia was the owner and head coach of the Frisco Fencing Academy in Texas for five years, guiding numerous students to national-level success.

Florencia represented the Mexican National Team for nine years, participating in seven World Championships, 20+ World Cups and Grand Prix Events. Of note, he ranked among the top junior fencers from 2012-16, highlighted by a national ranking of No. 7 in 2014.

He also won multiple World Cup medals, was a Pan American Champion with multiple medals, and finished eighth at the 2014 Junior World Championships in Bulgaria.

Florencia graduated from The Ohio State University with a bachelor's degree in sports industry.

During his time with the Buckeyes, he helped lead the program to two NCAA runner-up finishes and four men's sabre Midwestern Fencing Conference Championships. He qualified for the 2016 NCAA Fencing Championships after placing fifth at the NCAA Midwest Regional Championships and went on to finish 16th nationally in sabre.