Esports

Coach Hartzog is a graduate of North Florida Community University (NFCC), holds a B.S. in Psychology from Florida State University and M.Ed in Instructional Online Design from Capella University.  John Hartzog is a life-long video game player and has advocated for how games can help educate as well as allow us to break societal barriers and stereotypes

Prior to being named Everest University’s first esport coach, Coach Hartzog was a contributing writer for gaming news with NerdHQ where he was the lead writer on several competitive titles such as Overwatch and For Honor. Coach Hartzog is currently active in online competitive games such as Overwatch, Apex Legends, Fortnite, Hearthstone, and Spellbreak, He brings a wealth of knowledge from a variety of gaming areas including console and PC gaming. 

As head coach, Coach Hartzog is part of a small committee spearheading the creation of a new Esports Performance arena on the first floor of the Hall Student Center.  The state-of-the art facilities for the Varsity Program includes: a lag less environment, top-of-the line peripherals, and the best PCs on the market. The space includes a lounge area for the players.

Esports, competitive online video gaming, is one of the fastest growing collegiate team activities, now offered at more than 600 colleges and universities across the country. “Many people believe eSports is just a bunch of kids sitting around playing video games. These athletes are competing and performing at a high level, requiring a lot of skill. I’m excited to show people these competitions are just as serious as a traditional sport” says Hartzog. Students who are interested in becoming a member of the 2020-21 Everest University Esports team should reach out to Coach Hartzog.