Meet Our Coaches

Sean McClain

Adam Mathieu

Sean started Empire United Fencing in 2007 with the goal of helping fencers reach their full potential. With over 20 years of experience competing at the top level and a spot in the USA Fencing Hall of Fame, Sean is passionate about developing talented athletes and sharing his love for the sport.

As a former US National Team member, Sean has an impressive history in fencing, he's the only living American to have won national championships in both foil and epee. He also won an NCAA title at Stanford University, making him one of just a few U.S. fencers to achieve this feat. His career highlights include a silver medal at the Pan American Championships and serving as an Olympic team alternate in 1996.

Since he started coaching in 2003, Sean has helped many athletes excel at Junior Worlds, National Championships, and Junior and Senior World Cups. His approach focuses on building discipline, resilience, and independence, qualities that help his students succeed both in fencing and in life.

Many of his students have been recruited to top universities like Harvard, Columbia, and Yale. One of his most proud accomplishments is coaching Lauren Scruggs, who won a silver individual medal and a team gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Adam has been part of the Empire family since 2008, forged in the philosophy of Empire United Fencing that has created a legacy of successful fencers and people. Since 2017, he has shared this philosophy with the next generation, coaching alongside Sean.

In that time, Adam has coached fencers at every level, from students taking their first steps onto the strip to national finalists. In addition to his work at Empire, he has also coached at the collegiate level, further broadening his experience in guiding athletes through both competitive and developmental stages.

As an athlete, Adam’s career was highlighted by a senior national championship title and numerous other national medals. He was a member of multiple senior World Cup team gold medal squads, and at Columbia University he earned First Team All-American honors while helping lead his team to two NCAA championships.

Mikhail Petin

Mikhail Petin earned his Masters degree in both Physical Education and fencing at the Institute of Physical Education in Lviv, Ukraine. He was a participant in international competitions as well as Soviet Union and Ukraine Championships, winning medals there.

Since moving from Ukraine to the United States, Mikhail has worked in New York City at fencing clubs such as Metropolis Fencing Club and also worked for a long time at Fencers Club. His best students include Emily Cross, who won the 2008 Beijing Olympic Team Silver Medal, 2006 and 2005 Junior World Champion, 2003 Cadet World Champion, 2003 and 2000 Junior World Team Bronze Medal, 2005 NCAA Champion, and 2005 U.S. National Champion. Jon Tiomkin – 2004 Athens U.S. Olympic Team (team placed 4th), and 1999 and 2003 U.S. National Champion, Nzhingha Prescod – 2008 Cadet World Champion. Brendan Meyers – 2004 Junior World Championships – Bronze Medalist, 2002 Cadet World Championships – Bronze Medalist. Nicole Mae Wong – 2018 Junior World Championships – Silver Medalist (Team Singapore) and many other students have won numerous international, national, and NCAA titles. Many of his students have been recruited to top universities like Yale, Columbia, Harvard, and Cornell.

Mikhail Petin is a former U.S. National Women’s Foil Coach. He was a coach at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, he was awarded the 2003 Fencing Developmental Coach of the Year by the United States Olympic Committee.

Mikhail Petin was inducted into the U.S. Fencing Hall of Fame at the 2022 Summer National Championships in Minneapolis, MN.