Harrisburg, Pa., USA, (January 24, 2019) — Harrisburg University of Science and Technology (HU) is doubling down after a recent 4th place national ranking and has hired former professional player Alex “Xpecial” Chu to coach its League of Legends team. Chu joins Giuseppe “Joemeister” Gramano (Overwatch) and Chad “HistoryTeacher” Smeltz to round out the experienced coaching staff at Harrisburg University.
“This is one more strategic piece to the puzzle. We have a lot of momentum right now, and with Alex’s addition to our coaching staff, our team is poised to be the one to watch in competitive collegiate esports,” said Eric Darr, President of Harrisburg University. “This is another huge opportunity for HU to level up.”
Chu, of Temple City, Calif., has been involved in the professional gaming scene since 2010 as a player and coach, including his most recent stint with Golden Guardians. He was previously a support player for Team Dignitas of the NA LCS (League of Legends Championship Series North America), Team Liquid and Team SoloMid. He is also one of only nine players who qualified for three World Championships.
“Coaching gives me a new perspective into the game that I’ve been playing for so long. It’s a real privilege to see that HU has invested in a team and in the education of these young players,” said Chu. “Having coached professional players, I’ve learned how to share the basics and teach the fundamentals. The HU team has so much potential and I’m excited to mentor student-athletes beyond even what they think they’re capable of.”
HU Storm’s League of Legends team is currently ranked by ESPN as 4th among the Top 25 college teams competing in the game across the U.S. The season kicks off January 26. HU’s team roster includes:
- Bradley “Blizz” Dallaire (Freshman, Detroit, Mich.) - Brandyn “Hopefulqt” Han (Freshman, East Stroudsburg, Pa.) - Joshua “Moss” Street (Junior, Clifton Park, N.Y.) - Aaron “P1atypus” Wegter (Junior, Antigo, Wis.) - Louis “Ran” Lin (Sophomore, Elkhorn, Wis.) - Zixing “TailsJJ” Jie (Sophomore, Toronto, Ontario, Canada) - Ryan “Shorterace” Nget (Freshman, Kirkland, Wash.) - Chris “Teesum” Fong (Transfer, Hacienda Heights, Calif.) - Titus “Titus” Bang (Freshman, Parkland, Fla.) - Clement “Hyami” Wittner (Freshman, Strasbourgh, France)
“We can’t wait to show everyone what we can do. All eyes are going to be on Harrisburg and with Alex leading the team, the sky's the limit,” said Smeltz, who also is Director of HU’s esports program.
“The students are almost in disbelief that these are their coaches. Having two all-star esports players by their side is something that was previously unheard of in collegiate esports. It’s a game changer.”
About HU Esports
Harrisburg University’s Esports Program is the University’s first–and only–varsity sport. The varsity team competes in some of the most popular esports games around the world, including “League of Legends,” “Overwatch” and “Hearthstone.” Team members compete on 40’ screens in its state-of-the-art arena space and receive full scholarships as part of the varsity team. For more information, visit http://harrisburgu.edu/esports/ or follow the team on Facebook and Twitter, as well as view tournaments on Twitch.
