Kelvin Navarro has been hired as the first e-sports coach at Penn State Beaver.
MONACA, Pa. — Penn State Beaver Athletics has announced the addition of e-sports and the hiring of head coach Kelvin Navarro to lead the new program.
E-sports, an up-and-coming part of collegiate athletics, will be the eighth varsity sport on the Beaver campus and its first co-ed sport.
Navarro will lead the new team into the next generation of Penn State Beaver Athletics. E-sports at Penn State Beaver will begin in fall 2025, when the team will begin competition.
Navarro, who is originally from the Philadelphia area, recently moved to Beaver County. He attended the Community College of Philadelphia where he became a licensed dental hygienist and also earned a license in local anesthesia, and he worked with pediatric patients.
While in school, Navarro earned the Emerging Leader Award which he said helped further his passion and desire to coach.
“I’m excited to begin coaching the e-sports team at Penn State Beaver because my favorite part of dental hygiene was educating the youth,” he said.
A life-long gamer himself, Navarro said he is ready to show off his passion for games like Fortnite, Mass Effect and Pokémon Go, which he can be found around campus playing frequently. Navarro said he loves coaching e-sports because "regardless of the player’s current ability anyone can up their game and find their passion through the team.”
Athletic Director Andy Kirschner said, “We look forward to working with Coach Navarro to develop this program and be a pioneer in the Penn State University Athletic Conference and the United States Collegiate Athletic Association for e-sports. This program is an exciting opportunity for the department and the campus community. Our staff and students look forward to having Coach Navarro join us. We look forward to competing and cannot wait for the season to begin.”
The e-sports lounge will be in Room 104 of the Laboratory Classroom Building.
Students who want more information about joining the team should contact Navarro at [email protected] or Kirschner at [email protected].
We look forward to working with Coach Navarro to develop this program and be a pioneer in the Penn State University Athletic Conference and the United States Collegiate Athletic Association for e-sports.—Andy Kirschner , athletics director, Penn State Beaver
