RUSSELL SAGE COLLEGE SELECTS MATT FISHER TO START ESPORTS PROGRAM

Albany, NY — Russell Sage College's Department of Athletics has announced the selection of Matt Fisher (Doylestown, PA) as the first head coach for the newly added eSports program. Fisher, a 2018 graduate of the University of Maryland, joins the Gator staff after serving the past year as a graduate assistant and a member of the program at the University of South Carolina, where he also completed his master's degree in sports and fitness administration and management.

Russell Sage College, an NCAA Division III institution, will compete as a member of the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) and will commence varsity competition during the 2021-2022 academic year.

"I am thrilled to announce Matt Fisher as our new eSports Head Coach and as our newest Gator" commented Director of Athletics Sandy Augstein-Collins. She added, "Matt's experience as a former educator will serve him well as he works with our student-athletes and his experience at the University of South Carolina as a starter for the Overwatch team certainly adds to the experience that he will be able to offer the members of our newest team.  Matt will begin recruiting now for the 2021-2022 academic year and assist with the design and implementation of our eSports arena  We are looking forward to getting our eSports program up and running and are excited about the opportunities that lie ahead in this new foray into eSports!"

Fisher added, "I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to build a program from the ground up as the school's first director and head coach of eSports." He continued, "eSports is an emerging sports scene that's a ton of fun to be a part of and provides players with a chance to develop their strategic thinking, communication, and leadership skills while representing their school. Russell Sage getting in now grants us the opportunity to establish ourselves in the eSports community.  Putting eSports under the umbrella of the athletic department is something that's really important to me and I love the vision and support that Russell Sage has for their eSports program."

Fisher comes to RSC having been a starter for the University of South Carolina's Overwatch team and participating in national tournaments. In addition, to competing for the team, he has extensive experience in game planning, team development, and video review sessions. While at USC, he also earned his master's degree in South Carolina's Sports and Entertainment Management master's program. He was involved extensively with the planning, organizing, marketing, and execution of major national sporting events such as the ACC Championship game and Belk Bowl. Fisher was also tapped as one of four students in the program to represent the university in a competitive sales and marketing competition, where he spent several months being coached and practicing before competing at The National Sports Forum. He was involved with work on projects for Coca-Cola and NASCAR for the event.

In addition, he worked with the Charlotte (NC) Sports foundation in event management for the Belk Bowl, Belk Kickoff game, the ACC Night of Legends, and ACC championship games in esports.

In addition to his background in esports and sports and fitness management, Fisher has also worked in education. He spent a year teaching in Charleston, South Carolina as a member of the North Charleston Elementary School District. He taught math and social studies and also served as a basketball coach. During that time, he was a Rookie Teacher of the Year finalist and recipient of the Winter MAP Achievement citation.

Fisher noted, "I felt like our visions meshed and I'm confident we can make that happen at Russell Sage.  I appreciated the time Sandy and her committee put into this search, getting to know them and seeing the commitment they have towards their athletic programs made this whole process a great experience and an easy decision for me.  I'm looking forward to returning home to the northeast and becoming a part of the Russell Sage College and Albany and Troy communities.  As a former elementary school teacher and youth basketball coach, I loved hearing what Russell Sage does for local elementary schools and can't wait to become a part of that.  I'm looking forward to bringing in student athletes who are prepared to compete at the next level against the best eSports programs in the country through the NACE as well as working to prepare them for their academic journeys and future careers."

"I want to thank Dr. Regan and the entire sports and entertainment management department at the University of South Carolina as well as all of my teammates on the South Carolina Overwatch team for preparing me for this exciting new career," added Fisher. "I also want to extend my gratitude to Tracy Dunheimer, Colleen Klipstein, and the University of Maryland Elementary Education Department for instilling my passion for education and preparing me for a career in athletic administration."