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Jaston Wickend, Nate Johnson and Samuel Young have been named as the program's three new head coaches, October 6, 2023. (Photo: Lethbridge College Kodiaks)

Lethbridge College Kodiaks name esports head coaches for 2023-24 season

Oct 6, 2023 | 4:14 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – The Lethbridge College Kodiaks esports teams have named their head coaches for the 2023-24 season.

Jaston Wickend, Nate Johnson and Samuel Young have been named as the program’s three new head coaches.

Wickend will be coaching the Rocket League team, and said he looks to bring in new ways of coordination and communication to the Kodiaks. The team finished second place in their division last season, and competed at the 2023 Alberta Esports Expo.

Johnson will take the reins of the school’s League of Legends team. He said, “I want to help develop a strong thriving community that can overcome the challenges that it will inevitably face.”

Johnson was part of the inaugural season of the Kodiaks League of Legends esports team last year, earning the Simulacrum Interactive Inc. Esports Leadership Award at the KODIs.

READ MORE: Lethbridge College Kodiaks celebrate 2023 KODI award winners

Young will be in charge of Lethbridge College’s Valorant team. Young has singled out communication as an important skill for his team which will lead them to success. Young elaborated further, “Being a student-athlete can put a lot of stress on your players, so I’d like to do what I can to relieve that stress and keep my players’ mental game up.”

Last year was the first year the Kodiaks esports team played other schools in the Eastern College Athletic Conference, and all three of the teams made it to their division’s playoffs.

READ MORE: Lethbridge News Now.

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