skip navigation

Rugby Coaching Staff

Head Rugby Coach Dan Arbeznik '00

Dan Arbeznik '00 serves as head rugby coach and is a Latin teacher in the Languages Department. 

He founded the rugby program in 2005 and has served as the head coach for the past 19 years. The "A-side" has gone to the State Final Four in 18 of the previous 20 seasons, winning State Championships in 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023. An avid traveler, Arbeznik has used rugby to connect his players with the rest of the world.  The team toured Ireland in 2015, Texas in 2016, France in 2017, South Africa in 2018, and Ireland again in 2019.

The team traveled once again in 2022 as they traveled to France to play in Paris and Normandy and would visit Japan for the first time in 2023.

The Cats will visit Argentina in the Spring of 2024.

Arbeznik led the Wildcats to its first National Tournament in the 2021 season where the Rugby team finished second as National Champion Runner-ups. 

In 2022, Arbeznik led the Wildcats to their first ever National Championship with a 23-14 win over Gonzaga (DC) at Moose Rugby Grounds in Elkhart, Indiana.

Arbeznik is a member of the class of 2000 from Saint Ignatius High School.  He went on to major in Classical Languages and French at Xavier University where he graduated in 2004.  Arbeznik received his Masters in Education from John Carroll University in 2009. 

Arbeznik has been married to his wife, Ellen, for the past 13 years and they have three children: Cassie, Michael, and Benjamin.

Dan Arbeznik '00

Dan Arbeznik '00

Assistant Coaches

Varsity:

Joe Zawodny – Head Backs Coach

Nick DiPietro '06 – Head Forwards Coach

Brian White '92 – Varsity B Head Coach    

Connor Fitzpatrick '94 – Assistant Coach

Tadaaki Hatta – Assistant Coach 

Tim Brofman '07 - Varsity C Head Coach

Owen Hundt - Assistant Coach

Matt Pickston - Assistant Coach

AJ Short '09 - Strength, Conditioning and Yoga
 
Anthony Rubino - Strength & Conditioning
 
Curtis Henry - Strength & Conditioning
 
Hanno Van Vuuren - Video Analysis
 
Drew Vilinsky '97 - Chaplain

JV:                         

Bill Craighead '92 - Head Coach

Greg Barbiaux '94 - Assistant Coach

Martin Chalmers - Assistant Coach

Freshman:

Tony Vegh '73 – Head Coach

Connor McCoy '13 - Assistant Coach

Alex Goff - Assistant Coach

Patrick Barrett - Assistant Coach

Robert Voth '88 - Assistant Coach 

Dave Cicetti - Chaplain

   

THE DAN ARBEZNIK FILE

Title: Head Coach

High School: Saint Ignatius '00

College: Xavier '04

Coaching Experience: 20 years

State Championships: 8 (2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023)

National Championships: 2022

As of February 2024