“Xpecial” makes the move from LA to Harrisburg to lead LOL team to the Championship
Alex “Xpecial” Chu makes the trek across the country to lead the League of Legends team full-time starting July 1. With his sights set on bringing a League of Legends Championship to Harrisburg, the former professional is making the full-time transition to collegiate coaching at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology. For the past six months, Chu has remotely coached the Storm team leading them to consistent rankings on the ESPN Collegiate Coaches Poll and securing first place at the Midwest Campus Clash and Gaming Expo.
“The sky is the limit for this Harrisburg Storm team,” said Chu. “I have seen the dedication, talent and potential in each of the players and I can’t wait to help them bring home the League of Legends National Championship title to PA.”
Chu joins the coaching ranks alongside Joe “Joemeister” Gramano, Overwatch Head Coach and Chad “History Teacher” Smeltz, Director of Esports at Harrisburg University. Every member of the coaching staff has professional experience in esports, giving the all-star collegiate athletes the support and guidance they need to drive their own esports paths. Chu’s more than 10 years of professional experience to the collegiate level, including stints with Golden Guardians, Team Dignitas, Team Liquid and Team SoloMid.
“Having Xpecial full time, in-person, is pretty unreal. The experience he brings to the team has already helped us make a lot of progress in the last semester,” said Ryan “ShorterAce” Nget (Sophomore/Kirkland, WA). “Having him in-person for the upcoming year will only make us that much stronger and go even further together.”
“This move is absolutely phenomenal for both HU Storm and collegiate League of Legends,” added Zixing “Tails” Jie (Sophomore/ Ottawa, Canada). “He brings alent, innovation, and experience that is unmatched by an existing coach or staff in the North American region. Someone like Xpecial is exactly what you need to grow as a player.”
Having a dedicated on-site coaching staff on campus has helped the team work on strategy and develop fundamental skills, while giving the coaches the opportunity to embed themselves in the culture of the team. With this move, Chu will be able to instantly provide feedback and work with them in a more collaborative environment.
“As a professional player, I’ve learned the impact that a seasoned coach can have on developing players. At HU, I want to provide practice structure, encourage a disciplined work ethic and keep a balanced lifestyle. This will bring out the maximum potential of our players and ultimately lead to the consistency needed to bring the championship to HU.”
“Coming to the Storm team from a professional background allows Xpecial to bring his precision, experience, and discipline to this young, enthusiastic team,” said Smeltz. “Working with the team remotely has already proved to be effective, but having him here, in our town, is going to get us that Championship title we want.”
About HU Esports
Harrisburg University’s esports Program is the University’s first–and only–varsity sport. The varsity team competes in some of the most popular esports games around the world, including “League of Legends,” “Overwatch” and “Hearthstone.” Team members compete on 40′ screens in its state-of-the-art arena space and receive full scholarships as part of the varsity team. HU’s Overwatch team is 2019 ESPN Collegiate Esports Champion, and has hosts large collegiate esports tournament events at the University.
