Keyser, W.Va. - WVU Potomac State College Head Esports Coach and Esports Director, Josh Steger earned high honors recently, as he was named NACE Madden Coach of the Year. Announced by the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) at the NACE National Convention this week, Steger beat out hundreds of other coaches around the nation to gain the title.
"Being named NACE Coach of the Year for Madden is an honor," said Steger. "Coaching a group of players that want to be better and put in the work to be better is awesome to have. From day one these guys got along, showed up on time, did everything that was asked of them and in return I was just happy to be a tool for their success. As individuals they are great, but as a team they are one of the best in the country. Being named coach of the year is not for me, but for us."
Under Steger's guidance, WVU Potomac State College has seen their esports program excel and garner national attention. A former collegiate esports player, who previously worked with esports at the University of Central Florida and Central Michigan University, Steger competed in League of Legends and Madden NFL himself. This experience has proved invaluable as he started the program from scratch and has brought in some of the top esports athletes from around the nation. In 2020-21, Steger coached 26 student-athletes that competed in six game titles.
The Potomac State College esports team earned the honor to represent West Virginia University in the Big XII segment of the Level Next National Championships in 2021 by winning a competition among representatives from all three of the WVU campuses. The Catamounts were successful in winning the Big XII section of the Level Next tournament.
During the 2020-21 academic year, Steger also guided Potomac State to the Spring and Fall ECAC Madden Championships and the Spring ECAC Rocket League Championship.
When asked about Coach Steger receiving NACE Madden Coach of the Year honors, top-player Adam Oates said, "Coach Steger is definitely deserving of this award considering the success he was able to orchestrate in NACE. He never loses confidence in his players and is able to develop them from a wide variety of platforms and games at an impressive rate. These are just some examples of many coaching characteristics he brings to the table that helps Potomac State College esports strive as a team."