Purdue Northwest Athletics is excited to announce the hiring of Xavier Patterson as the new head coach of the esports program. Patterson brings extensive experience in collegiate esports leadership, tournament organization, and team development, making him a standout choice to lead the growing PNW esports program.

"Xavier brings valuable experience and leadership to the collegiate esports space, and we are pleased to welcome him to Purdue Northwest," said Rick Costello, Director of Athletics. "His background as an esports player, graduate assistant, and his involvement with the NECC provides a well-rounded perspective that will support the continued development of our esports program. We look forward to the positive impact he will have on our students both in competition and in the classroom.

Patterson most recently served as the esports graduate assistant at Dickinson State University in North Dakota, where he oversaw scheduling and management of team practices, recruitment trials, and competition logistics for both varsity and club esports teams. His leadership also extended to digital content strategy, coordinating social media and broadcast teams to promote on-air events and drive engagement.

"I am thrilled to join Purdue Northwest and lead such a talented and ambitious esports program," Patterson said. "I look forward to building a culture of competition, teamwork, and academic success while helping our student-athletes reach their full potential both in-game and beyond."

In addition to his on-campus leadership, Patterson has held multiple high-impact roles with the National Esports Collegiate Conferences (NECC). He currently serves on the competition committee, where he helps develop rulebooks and oversees competitive governance for a wide range of titles. Previously, he served as the program manager for Rainbow Six: Siege, where he was responsible for training interns, building season schedules across multiple divisions, and managing communications between broadcast partners and participating programs. His esports career began with NECC as a game management intern, where he honed his skills in operations, conflict resolution, and schedule coordination.

Patterson also gained campus-level leadership experience at Waldorf University, serving as interim director of esports during two separate terms. In this role, he led organizational meetings, managed student staff, and handled all communications between the university and league officials. He also worked as an esports management assistant at Waldorf for three years, acting as the main point of contact for competition scheduling, dispute resolution, and internal team coordination.

His dedication and expertise in esports have earned him national recognition. In November 2023, he was named Tournament Organizer of the Year by the Scholars Awards, honoring his work as one of the top tournament organizers in North American collegiate esports. He was also recognized by Team Liquid in April 2023 as an Esports Expert in Dota 2 and League of Legends for his deep understanding of both game histories and competitive play.

Patterson holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sport Management with a minor in Business from Waldorf University, and he is currently pursuing a Master of Sport Administration and Athletic Leadership at Dickinson State University.

About Purdue Northwest Athletics
PNW Athletics consists of 500 student athletes competing in 23 sports and is a current member of NCAA Division II, the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC), the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA), and the Midwest Esports Conference. 

Intercollegiate athletic teams are fielded in baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, esports, men's and women's golf, men's and women's ice hockey, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's track & field, softball, STUNT, women's flag football and women's volleyball. Academically, PNW student-athletes have achieved 19 consecutive semesters with a combined GPA of 3.0 or above. Athletically, PNW has secured 18 championships since moving to NCAA Division II in 2016-17.

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