Esports Coaches Profile: Dr. Chris Haskell (Boise St.)
Boise State University is a public educational institution located in Boise, Idaho, with a varsity esports program. With five popular esports titles and a 2500-square foot gaming arena, Boise State University is one of the leading esports programs in the country.
In this post, we highlight the Boise program leader, Dr. Chris Haskell, who was recently named the National Esports Coach of the Year by the National Association of Esports Coaches and Directors (NAECAD). So we take a look at Boise State’s esports program and the man more affectionately known as “Doc”.
About Dr. Chris Haskell
Dr. Chris Haskell is an Associate Clinical Professor at Boise State University who serves as the current Director and Head Coach of varsity esports. As an early advocate for esports and gaming, Dr. Haskell was one of the first at Boise to recognize the potential of esports as a viable varsity program for interested students.
One of Dr. Haskell’s major interests is the intersection of gaming and academics; he teaches classes in popular gaming titles like World of Warcraft and Minecraft. In addition to designing unique academic courses relating to social media and memes, Dr. Haskell supervises the independent broadcasting of esports content on the Twitch channel of Boise State University. With more than 200 hours of original Twitch content, Boise State University is one of the most active collegiate esports broadcasters in the United States.
Throughout his career in esports, Dr. Haskell has created a model for other institutions to follow. The dedication to esports and unmatched leadership in the role of Director and Head Coach are the reasons why Dr. Chris Haskell remains one of the most outstanding figures in esports. In recognition of his services to esports, Dr. Haskell was recognized by the NAECAD as the National Esports Coach of the Year for the 2019-20 season.
The Origins of Boise State Esports
Haskell’s fingerprints are all over the leading Boise program. Seeing the compelling connection between gaming and learning, Dr. Haskell designed a plan for a varsity esports program, which was presented to and later approved by the university.
Boise is currently in its fourth esports season as of 2020-21. The esports program at Boise State University was a part of the second major wave of esports programs, which included renowned educational institutions like the Robert Morris University, University of California Irvine, Maryville University, and more.
Varsity Esports Program Structure
The esports program has more than 65 student-athletes distributed in multiple teams across five major esports titles, including League of Legends, Rocket League, Overwatch, Hearthstone, and Starcraft. More than 300 students engage at the Club and Academy level with varying games, including Rainbow Six Siege, Valorant, Call of Duty, Heroes of the Storm, etc.
Besides the Head Coach and Program Director, multiple Positional Coaches supervise each varsity team. All coaches work closely with the team members to ensure optimal training of skilled varsity recruits.
Learn More About Boise State Esports
You can read more about Boise State University and its esports program at Looking for Group. You can visit the official website of Boise State University here and read more about admissions and recruitment to the esports program.
(this article is provided by Looking For Group, a Checkpoint XP content partner.)