St. Ambrose University Director of Athletics Mike Holmes announced today Mitchell Patchett has been named the University's Director of Esports. He will begin his duties Jan. 30.

Patchett replaces Chase Neukam, who left to pursue new opportunities after serving as the director at St. Ambrose for nearly four years.

"I have been excited about the direction our Esports program is taking, and it was important to the search committee to find someone who could keep the program at its current level, with possibilities to go further," Holmes said. "Mitch impressed everyone with his vision for where we could be, but also with his maturity, experience, and focus on player experience."

Patchett graduated from Shawnee State University in 2021, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a concentration in Graphic Design. He competed in League of Legends during his collegiate career, and was also on the varsity soccer team for four years.

Post graduation, Patchett joined the Shawnee State Esports coaching staff. He hit the rank of Master 315 LP in League of Legends, and used this experience to do freelance coaching for individuals as well. He has coached players from over 10 different countries across individual and team settings. In addition to coaching, Patchett enjoys playing and watching soccer. He was drafted to play in the Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) late in 2022.

Patchett started his own esports recruiting company, Esports Connect International (ECI), early in 2022. The company focuses on hosting tournaments and matchmaking potential prospects from all over the world to universities in the United States.

"I have a tremendous passion for Esports, coaching and helping teams compete at their highest level," Patchett said. "I believe my combination of traditional athletic experience and success in Esports will allow me to help the student-athletes at St. Ambrose University get the most out of their experience with the program."