New Haven to Field First Esports Team in the Fall, Names Professional Gamer Head Coach

WEST HAVEN, Conn. - The University of New Haven Department of Athletics and Recreation has announced the addition of a varsity esports team that will begin competition in the fall of 2020. Corey Parks, a professional gamer and esports coach, has been named by Director of Athletics Sheahon Zenger as the program's first director and head coach. The appointment coincides with the University's development of a comprehensive academic curriculum in esports management that will be the first of its kind.

Parks comes to the university from Defiance (Ohio) College, where he was director and head coach of esports. There, Parks led a Hearthstone team that finished among the top eight in the nation, including a win over a team from Ohio State.