Rogers State University has named Holden Craig as the Esports head coach within the Office of Student Affairs. He began his duties on May 20.
Craig comes to RSU from Texas Christian University where he co-founded the Esports program taking it from a student organization to a prominent club sport. Craig served as the TCU Esports vice president from May to October 2018 and president from October 2018 to June 2020, while also facilitating the management, training, and competition of multiple Esports teams. Additionally, he managed all the organization’s communications and maintained relationships with university administration and program sponsors.
“Holden has a passion for developing players to excel as Esports gamers and students. His experience with the process of recruiting new players will allow RSU’s Esports program to build on the tradition of being one of the best in the state, as proven by our State Championship in the recent Best of Oklahoma Winter 2021 Esports Tournament. We look forward to him serving our students and university well,” Dr. Robert Goltra III, vice president for student affairs, said.
As the RSU Esports head coach, Craig will take an already successful program to the next level.
“I am excited to take on the leadership duties of the RSU Esports program. RSU has an outstanding Esports facility and talented players with a recent history of success, and I plan to build upon this success so that the players can reach their highest potential as Esports athletes,” Craig said.
In 2018, RSU became the first university in Oklahoma to offer Esports as an official university activity. The program is housed in a dedicated Esports Arena with 18 gaming stations and offers scholarships across four competitive teams. The RSU Esports gaming program is open to all enrolled for both competitive and casual gaming with 24/7 Esports Arena access.
RSU’s Esports was named tournament champions earlier this year at the Oklahoma Association of Collegiate Esports’ Battle for Oklahoma tournament. Last fall, the program won their second state college championship in the game Valorant. The Esports program also provides support and mentorship for the Oklahoma Esports League, assisting high school students during Esports competitions. RSU gamers compete in games such as League of Legends, Overwatch, Valorant and Rocket League.
RSU offers an Esports degree option within the Bachelor of Science in Business Information Technology.
For more information about Esports, visit www.rsu.edu/levelup.