HAMMOND & WESTVILLE, Ind. -- The Purdue University Northwest Athletics Department is proud to announce the hiring of Justin Bragg as the Pride's first Esports Head Coach.
"I am excited to have Justin join our team and build the Purdue Northwest Esports program," said PNW Director of Athletics Rick Costello. "Justin comes to PNW with outstanding experience both as a coach and a nationally ranked player. I look forward to Justin developing and leading the Pride Esports program.  Esports has amazing growth potential and outstanding competitive, social engagement, and educational opportunities for our students, faculty, staff, alumni, and the Northwest Indiana community."
Bragg comes to PNW from Illinois College where he coached Esports for three seasons. At Illinois College, he debuted its Esports program in 2018, playing League of Legends. Bragg led the Illinois College team to 9-2 record this year with wins over the University of Missouri, Wichita State University and nationally-ranked Grand View University.  He has played in Grandmaster and Challenger tier for the past five years, playing eight years of League of Legends.  At one point, Bragg was ranked among the top ten League of Legends players in North America. In his years of playing, he went against many well-known professionals.
Bragg will lead the Black and Gold in their inaugural year of play, establishing a varsity team of players who will compete in Esports arenas that will be developed in the student union buildings on both PNW campuses in Hammond and Westville. The arenas will feature 30 gaming stations using state-of-the-art equipment. The Esports space also will be open to all students during designated hours for intramural programs and individual student use.
"I am excited to join PNW to build the esports program," said Bragg. "There is so much that esports can offer to a community and I look forward to working with the students, faculty and staff at Purdue Northwest and Northwest Indiana. I would like to thank Chancellor Keon and Rick Costello for this awesome opportunity."
A native of the Chicago area, Bragg graduated from the University of Illinois in 2014 with a degree in Recreation, Sport and Tourism.
About PNW Esports
Esports is PNW's 14th varsity athletic program. Esports – a competitive, organized, and multiplayer online video game competition – is among the world's fastest growing sport at the collegiate level. In fall 2020, PNW will be the first public university in Indiana to offer Esports at the varsity level. The PNW Pride Esports team will be developed as a co-ed sport and begin competition in fall 2020. Possible games for competition include League of Legends, Rocket League, Super Smash Brothers, Hearthstone, Overwatch, and many more. Those interested in joining the Pride should click here.
Purdue University Northwest Athletics
Purdue Northwest Athletics consists of 250 student athletes and 15 sports and is a member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) and NCAA Division II. Intercollegiate athletic teams are fielded in men's and women's basketball, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's tennis, women's volleyball, men's and women's golf, softball and baseball. Men's Ice Hockey is offered as a non-varsity sport. Purdue Northwest has recently developed new basketball, volleyball, soccer, softball, baseball, tennis, and ice hockey facilities.
Purdue University Northwest
Purdue University Northwest (PNW) is a student-centered university that values academic excellence, supports growth and celebrates diversity. Located in Northwest Indiana, near Chicago, PNW fosters a vibrant academic community through high quality and engaging undergraduate and graduate education. For more information about PNW, visit www.pnw.edu.
