Gaming allows John McDermott to pursue coaching interests, provide opportunities for student

Diggs, Carter

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eGrove (Univ. of Mississippi)

University of Mississippi eGrove University of Mississippi News 8-30-2022 New Esports Director Plans to Grow Program Carter Diggs Follow this and additional works at: https://egrove.olemiss.edu/umnews Recommended Citation Diggs, Carter, "New Esports Director Plans to Grow Program" (2022). University of Mississippi News. 3404. https://egrove.olemiss.edu/umnews/3404 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by eGrove. It has been accepted for inclusion in University of Mississippi News by an authorized administrator of eGrove. For more information, please contact egrove@olemiss.edu. Search this website … SearchAfter three years of leading the esports program at Long Island University, John McDermott has joined UM asdirector of Ole Miss Esports. His goals include developing a championship program and using it to build newopportunities for students. Photo by Kevin Bain/Ole Miss Digital Imagng ServicesNew Esports Director Plans to Grow ProgramGaming allows John McDermott to pursue coaching interests, provideopportunities for studentsAUGUST 30, 2022 BY CARTER DIGGSOXFORD, Miss. – The new director of Ole Miss Esports has big plans for the fall semester. John McDermott, who joined the University of Mississippi on Aug. 15, plans to expand the program,recruit and develop student talent, and create opportunities for students to use their gaming interests intheir chosen professional fields.McDermott spent the last three years leading the esports program at Long Island University. During histime at LIU, the program grew from six students in 2019 to more than 300. The immediate goal is to grow the esports community within Oxford and lay the foundation of achampionship program, he said.“What I like to do first is to get a gauge of what students are looking for in the program,” McDermottsaid. “Once we do that, we try to identify a group of talented individuals here to form a baseline withwhile supplementing through recruiting.”William Patrick Spiars, former Ole Miss Esports president, believes McDermott is coming in at a goodtime grow the program.“(Ole Miss Esports) has given people a place to go when they don’t know where they belong oncampus,” said the senior marketing major from Yazoo City. “The university has started to see thatesports has become a prevalent thing and that we have a little bit of weight behind our community.”Founded in 2017 as a student club, Ole Miss Esports became an official university program in2018. The more than 50 playing members compete nationwide in games such as Halo, Rocket League,Valorant and more. Additionally, the group hosts LanShark tournaments and puts on an annual EsportsEgg Bowl. Esports has grown exponentially with the advent of live streaming services. In its 2021 Global Esportsand Live Streaming Market Report, Newzoo estimates that more than 435 million viewers tuned induring 2020. That number is projected to exceed 577 million in 2024.The EVO 2022 tournament reported 8,049 players in attendance for the event, with peak streamingtraffic on Twitch reaching more than 250,000 viewersRead the story …Read the story …Follow us on socialCampus BriefsStudents Learn ‘Real Politics’ inWashington, D.C., Winter SessionOXFORD, Miss. – Eleven University ofMississippi students spent their winterbreak learning about the people who workbehind the scenes of the Americangovernment in Washington, D.C. Lead byJonathan Klingler, assistant professor ofpolitical science, the students of Pol 391:Applied Politics met not with candidates,but with the people who make candidates’More Posts from this CategoryThank You To OurDonorsYoung Alumna Gives Back to Schoolof AccountancyOXFORD, Miss. – Stephanie JenningsTeague, of Chicago, sees her commitmentof $100,000 to the Patterson School ofAccountancy‘s new building at theUniversity of Mississippi as a means ofsaying “thank you.” “It is a way to show asmall token of my appreciation to OleMiss, the faculty and staff, and theaccountingMore Posts from this CategoryOle Miss In the NewsReuters: Keep an Eye on the MoneySupplyU.S. inflation roller coaster prompts freshlook at long-ignored money supply ByMichael S. Derby NEW YORK – Theamount of money sloshing around the U.S.economy shrank last year for the first timeon record, a development that someeconomists believe bolsters the case forU.S. inflation pressures continuing toabate. The Federal Reserve’sNews Releases UM COVID-19 Video Gallery University Communications Ole Miss Homepage Ole Miss News BlogFacebookTwitterLin edInEmailCopyLinkSMSPrintFriendlySharFacebookTwitterInstagramLinkedInYouTubeChannel“This is a great example of us embracing another field that is in high demand,” said Noel Wilkin, UMprovost and vice chancellor for academic affairs. “It enables us to provide students with opportunities in agrowing industry that is in alignment with their interests.”McDermott’s experience with professional gaming dates back to high school. That was when he first gotpaid to produce PvE – player versus environment – on World of Warcraft. “It was really small,” he said. “But as a 17-year-old, that $100 every three months was a big deal in myhead.”In college, McDermott took a break from gaming to pursue his dream of playing, and one day coaching,college football. But after a series of injuries left him unable to return to the gridiron, he found himselfpulled back into the world of gaming.A paper he wrote on the viability of esports impressed his professors at St. John’s University, which ledto an opportunity to coach esports at LIU.“I always had an interest in coaching and helping people accomplish their dreams,” McDermott said. “Ifound that avenue through esports as well, and I feel like there’s more work you can do in terms ofdeveloping the people within it.” McDermott plans to bring that focus on student development he honed at LIU to Ole Miss. At LIU, 97percent of their esports students graduated within four years, and 85 percent found a job within a weekof graduation. Esports is an ideal professional entry point for students of any discipline, McDermott said. And he plansto let students infuse their professional aspirations into esports programming.“For example, with journalism students, you can start in esports, build up a portfolio and resume, andtransition into a more traditional news media job,” he said. “That learning and developmental experienceis something I’m looking forward to.”Inclusivity will be another of McDermott’s priorities. The gaming field’s ability to bring people together issomething he finds valuable and wants to emphasize.“You have the ability to create magical moments and work with all kinds of students,” he said. “Therewas one day (at LIU) when a Division I runner visited the esports program and sat down to play with aninternational student he never would have interaction with otherwise.”That aligns with the university’s continued efforts to welcome all students with varied interests, talents,passion and curiosity, Wilkin said.“I’m really excited about the opportunities that our new, dedicated director will be able to create forstudents,” he said. “It will enable us to offer the level of excellence and competition that students havecome to expect at the University of Mississippi.”FILED UNDER: FEATURED NEWS, NEWS RELEASESRead the story …More Posts from this CategoryRetu rn  to  to p  o f  p a ge Copyright © 2023 · Th e Un iversity  o f  M ississ ip p i

New Esports Director Plans to Grow Program

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New Esports Director Plans to Grow Program

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