ALLIANCE, Ohio – The University of Mount Union is proud to announce it has named Derek Spinell as the director and head coach of its recently-added competitive esports program.

Spinell earned a Bachelor of Arts in communication technology from The Ohio State University. He joins the Mount Union community with over five years of esports industry experience. During his time at Ohio State, he held leadership roles in the Esports Initiative student organization. He was a part of the 2014 Riot Games Collegiate Summit in Santa Monica, California at Riot Games’ Headquarters, an event that brought together collegiate leaders to discuss the state of collegiate esports. He has also been an events contractor for Major League Gaming since 2013.

Spinell’s plan is to field varsity level teams with scholarship opportunities in League of Legends, Overwatch and Rocket League starting in the fall semester of 2019. Along with varsity teams, the program will field club level teams for other games as interest arises. Esports at Mount Union has a focus on in-game and academic excellence along with campus and community involvement.

“I’m very excited to be here at Mount Union and have the opportunity to build this program,” Spinell said. “This is a great opportunity for students who have an interest in this rapidly growing industry”.

To learn more about Mount Union’s esports program, visit mountunion.edu/esports or contact Derek Spinell at esports@mountunion.edu or call (330) 829-6623.