SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. -- Since its inception as a varsity program, John Brown University Esports has fielded competitive teams and championship rosters across myriad titles. Students in JBU esports build leadership and collaboration skills and find a community of fellow gamers who champion their work throughout their undergraduate careers.
As they transition into post-student life, these former players utilize skills they credit to their time in JBU esports.
Many alumni graciously bring their skills back home to the arena. There are seven volunteer coaches for the Fall 2026 season, and the program is proud to continue its legacy of excellence.
Jonny "Sormgig" Bontrager was an active member of esports from his sophomore year onward. During his time in esports, Bontrager served as both Vice President and President and as captain on the varsity Overwatch team during their very first season of competition. Since graduating in spring 2025 with a degree in mechanical engineering and a minor in civil engineering, Bontrager moved to Wichita, Kansas where he works as a control engineer for C&C Group. His involvement in the gaming world continues, as he regularly hosts game nights in his home and volunteers in the game room at his church. Bontrager remains a staple of JBU Esports, serving as the Overwatch coach. He speaks quite eloquently about the role of coaching in esports, saying, "There is no sports team in the world that is truly competitive and does not have a coach. And somehow that's been lost in esports. Kids across the nation compete every day without some sort of guidance, and I've seen that lead to proper calamity ... I played with 20+ teammates as a Golden Eagle, and I tried to be the best coach for them and the best player for myself, to varying success. But now that the burden of playing is no longer on me, I can fully focus on developing some of the young and promising talent that has come into our program."
Casey "theburningcasey" Burns played on the Smash Bros team for five seasons between 2022 and 2024, and now serves as a consultant for the team. "I was already doing most of the coaching when we were all players, so as new players transitioned in, I wanted to be able to help however I could and hopefully continue to use it as a way to bring God into esports as much as possible! [I]t's a ton of fun getting to share new tips and techniques and just break down the game a little more for someone who might not be as experienced." Burns speaks highly of the program, crediting esports with providing him with a place to belong. "[Esports] was a place where I came and felt appreciated for the things that I loved doing ... I was able to create long term connections and friendships, and evangelize through the program in different ways." Burns moved home to South Carolina where he puts his illustration and graphic design degree to use as a graphic designer for a toy company.
Owen "Petabyte" Campbell played on the Smash Bros and Mario Kart teams from 2022 to 2026, served as media and stream director during his time as a student, and now serves as coach for Mario Kart. Campbell majored in Game Design and Computer Science. About his time in esports, he said, "My favorite thing about being there was probably just watching the growth of the program ... The original space for esports in the shop was so small, and going from that to [the arena] and the increased number of members is crazy. I also grew a lot alongside and through esports when I was there, it was my gateway to make friends." Campbell moved back to his hometown of Kansas City, Missouri and currently works as a technician at Panasonic.
Jonathan "Cyberus" Kohl was a Mechanical Engineering major with a minor in Physics, and is the coach for Marvel Rivals, a new title JBU Esports is piloting during the Fall 2026 season. Kohl's involvement in JBU esports is unique in that he graduated in Spring 2019, before the program began at the club level. After graduating, he kept following the program, including the retrofitting of Bynum Theater into a state-of-the-art esports arena for the varsity program. He met with director Dr. Kim Johnson last year at homecoming and expressed interest in coaching. "I am looking forward to helping the team do its best in representing JBU on a competitive stage. Part of why I chose to come back and coach at my alma mater is to utilize my spiritual gifting in teaching. Volunteering part time as an esports coach in a game I already love seemed like a good way to [utilize my gift]." Kohl is a Repair Development Engineer at Pratt & Whitney in Norman, Oklahoma.
Caleb "Phippsey" Phipps, a biochemistry major, played on the Rocket League team for four seasons, beginning in the spring of 2024, immediately on the heels of the team's division championship title in the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) in fall 2023. He decided to coach the Rocket League team to give back to the esports program. "I really enjoyed and appreciated the opportunities that JBU esports gave me to compete at a high level ... I grew to love the environment of JBU Esports ... and I want it to continue! Coaching has been really fun, especially because I have been able to coach my former teammates. All the guys on the team are great and fun to compete against, and they have a really great mindset for improving and working as a team." Phipps lives in Kansas City and works as a technician in an ophthalmology clinic as he applies to medical schools.
Luke "Pookey" Pipkin played in esports from 2023 until he graduated in December 2025 and now serves as coach for the chess team. He still lives in Siloam Springs with his wife, a JBU employee, which provides him the unique opportunity to provide in-person coaching. Pipkin was a math major and is now searching for work as an actuary. He began playing chess as an intellectual outlet during COVID and continues to enjoy coaching the game, leaning on his teaching skills as a former tutor. "So far, it has been better than I could have expected. I am really impressed by the skill level of the chess players, and by their opening performance last Saturday (September 26th) - both teams won 10-6. It will be challenging to find ways to help them each improve, but I am looking forward to it."
Wil "Moonman" Moon played on the Valorant team throughout his time in college and graduated in spring 2025. He now serves as a coach for the Valorant team. Moon was a member of the Valorant roster during the Spring 2025 season, where the team went undefeated (11-0) in the regular season and went on to win the championship title in Division C of the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC). For Moon, who participated in esports from its earliest days, the championship represented significant progress. "I was on the first-ever Valorant team, so I really got to see the growth over the years," Moon said. "In our first season, we took one total map, not even a series." During his first season coaching, Spring 2026, the Valorant team won their division championship in the National Esports Collegiate Conference (NECC). Moon was a mechanical engineering major and now works as a project design manager at Core States Group in Bentonville and occasionally comes to the arena for practices and matches.
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