Columbia, MD - Howard Community College is excited to announce the addition Jonathan Craft as our new esports head coach!

"I'm delighted to have Coach Craft join our department," said athletic director Mike Smelkinson. "Coach Craft is a passionate gamer and leader, and his addition to the staff will open up new opportunities for student involvement."

Craft has been a gamer since he was a kid. His first competitive game was Super Smash Bros Brawl. After spending several years competing in Smash tournaments around Maryland, he branched out into Overwatch, Valorant, League of Legends, and several FPS games. His plan for esports at Howard is to create interest for the program and build a competitive team.

"It's one thing to play Smash Brothers, Fortnite, or Valorant at home, but it's another thing entirely to play as a team," said Craft. "We want to build a competitive and welcoming environment here at Howard."

Esports will focus on Rocket League, League of Legends, and Valorant this season. According to Craft, year two will hopefully see the addition of Overwatch, Super Smash Bros., and SUPERVIVE. For Craft though, the main goal of esports will be to build community.

"Even if you're not super competitive, esports is a great way to meet like-minded people and build a community," said Craft. "For me it's about the people and Howard is a great community. I'm looking forward to starting my career here."

Everyone is welcome to try esports, and Craft welcomes those who may not be focused on the gaming itself.

"If you want to do something in production, HR, or coaching, there are opportunities in esports," Craft said.

Outside of gaming and esports, Craft works in Washington DC at CSPAN.