Head Coach, eSports

Savannah College of Art and Design; Atlanta (GA); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Savannah College of Art and Design is seeking an esports head coach to guide League of Legends and Overwatch teams as they prepare for high-stakes competitions. You will lead staff to embody SCAD's ideals of scholarship, leadership, integrity, and sportsmanship.

You’ll oversee gameplay, practice schedules, player development, recruitment, academics, and community relations, while coordinating with coaches to manage arenas, equipment, and live streaming operations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree.
• Coaching or teaching experience.
• At least one year of competitive esports experience involving League of Legends.
• Experience in fundraising in a university environment and with budget management.

Responsibilities

• Lead teams in current gameplay mechanics, macro strategy, communication, and competitive best practices.
• Schedule and administer practice sessions, scrimmages, and official competitions.
• Conduct video review sessions to evaluate performance and develop improvement plans.
• Develop game strategies, draft preparation, champion select plans, and opponent-specific strategies.
• Manage all roster decisions.
• Recruit student-athletes aligned with SCAD values.
• Monitor academic progress and encourage retention.
• Establish team expectations and policies fostering a positive, inclusive culture.
• Mediate player conflicts and serve as the primary contact for student-athlete concerns.
• Maintain office hours year-round.
• Collaborate with other coaches to manage arena, equipment, and streaming production.
• Maintain streaming software knowledge and broadcast operations for competition.
• Maintain and administer the SCAD esports Discord server for team communication and scheduling.
• Engage in community relations to promote esports program among prospective and current students.
• Complete and file administrative paperwork and schedules.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Teamwork

Esports knowledge

Student development

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Coaching or teaching experience

Esports experience (LoL)

Fundraising & budgeting

Tools

Discord

Twitch

Streaming software

Job description

As an esports head coach, you’ll support members of the League of Legends and Overwatch teams as they prepare to compete in high-stakes competitions. You’ll guide these teams — with the help of an array of talented staff — to demonstrate the SCAD ideals of scholarship, leadership, integrity, and sportsmanship.

As head coach, you’ll:

• Lead teams in current gameplay mechanics, macro strategy, communication, and competitive best practices
• Schedule and administer efficient, effective, and well-organized practice sessions, scrimmages, and official competitions
• Conduct individual and team video review sessions to evaluate performance, provide constructive feedback, and develop improvement plans
• Develop game strategies, draft preparation, champion select plans, and opponent-specific strategies for competitions
• Manage all roster decisions

To support maintaining a strong team, you’ll:

• Recruit talented student-athletes who are compatible with the program and align with the university's values
• Monitor team members' academic progress and encourage retention
• Establish team expectations and policies consistent with SCAD Athletics and university standards while fostering a positive, inclusive, and competitive team culture
• Mediate player conflicts, address disciplinary matters, and serve as the primary point of contact for student-athlete concerns
• Maintain consistent office hours throughout the calendar year

Additionally, you’ll:

• Collaborate with other coach(es) to manage the arena, equipment, and shared competitive resources and work with them and student workers to manage and promote SCAD's esports Twitch channel and livestream production
• Maintain a working knowledge of streaming software and broadcast operations necessary for competition
• Maintain and administer the SCAD esports Discord server to support team communication, scheduling, announcements, and daily program operations
• Engage in successful community relations within the university community to establish a positive opinion of the esports program among prospective and current students through collaboration with student organizations, demonstrations, recruitment initiatives, and events
• Promptly complete and file all required administrative paperwork, recruiting documentation, schedules, and other reports

Strong candidates will demonstrate:

• A commitment to student development
• An ability to establish and cultivate effective working relationships in a team-oriented environment
• Proven leadership and excellent communication skills
• A working knowledge/understanding of collegiate esport landscape (i.e., governing bodies, CLOL, national tournaments, competition guidelines, and streaming platforms)

Minimum qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree
• Coaching or teaching experience
• At least one year of competitive esports experience involving League of Legends
• Experience in fundraising in a university environment and with budget management

Certificates, licenses, and registrations:

• Valid driver’s license

Travel required:

• Less than 10%

Work hours:

The university work week is Sunday through Saturday. Most offices are open Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. To accommodate business needs, employees may be assigned to other workdays and/or hours, including weekends and evenings.

ADA tag:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements and minimum qualifications listed are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions and/or meet the minimum qualifications.