CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Former Harvard Fencing head coach Ben Zivkovic has been named to the USA Fencing Hall of Fame Class of 2023, the organization recently announced. Zivkovic, who will enter the Hall of Fame as a contributor, is part of a nine-member class.
 
At the helm of the Crimson from 1976-99, Zivkovic helped the Harvard men's team to a 140-118 record and 16 NCAA appearances, seven of which resulted in top-10 efforts, highlighted by a fourth-place performance in 1982-83. He also coached two NCAA champions (Jim O'Neill, epee, 1988; Kwame van Leeuwen, foil, 1994) and one Olympian (Greg Chang, foil, 1996 Athens).
 
On the women's side, Zivkovic served as its first head coach and led the Crimson to a 176-124 record from '76-'99. In his final campaign, he guided the program to a seventh-place finish at NCAAs.
 
Outside of his time at Harvard, Zivkovic was an innovator in fencing equipment. In 1974, he created and manufactured the first raised aluminum strips, which are still the standard today. More than two decades later in 1996, he developed the transparent visor mask, enhancing spectator appreciation. Zivkovic also created various grip handles, bell guards and bumper systems, which allowed wheelchair fencers to move on the strip in motorized, joystick-controlled chairs.
 
Zivkovic, who came to the U.S. in 1958, won two national championships (1950, 1958) in both foil and epee, while competing for Yugoslavia and became an International Fencing Master in 1953. In addition to his stint at Harvard, Zivkovic had coaching stops at Salle Santelli, West Point, Columbia and Fairfield.
 
Members of the Class of 2023 will be inducted at a ceremony to be held during the 2023 USA Fencing National Championships and July Challenge, also known as the 2023 Summer Nationals. Date and location are to be announced.