Head Coach

Miles Dean

Miles Dean, the founding head coach of Esports at Fox, will guide the program once again after a succesful inagural campaign in 2021-22. The Bruins' Esports teams competed in Rocket League and League of Legends during their first season and made the national bracket in each game title, including a national championship finish for the Academy (JV) Leagoe of Legends (LoL) tournament. The varsity LoL team finished as national runners-up in their bracket, and the Academy (JV) Rocket League squad finished third.

Dean brings a wealth of leadership and experience to the position with 18 years of experience in development, marketing, and sales in the tech industry. At each of his most recent stops in the business realm, Dean’s leadership helped provide a steady trend of growth and expansion - a trait that will serve the Bruins well as they launch the Esports team in the fall of 2021.

“I am elated to welcome Miles to the Bruin Athletics Department family and to have him serve as the inaugural head coach in George Fox University varsity esports history,” said athletic director Adam Puckett. “Miles brings passion, experience, and a vision for the growth of the program that will be valuable as we launch esports this fall.”

Dean began working towards a career in Esports in 2017. Over the course of four years, he has specialized in developing the in-arena experience and the technical side of the business with streaming as well. Dean has helped work on the TBS Esports series, ΞLEAGUE, and he also played a role in building out the technology used to film productions like Disney’s The Mandalorian. He has also helped provide guidance for Esports tech specs at universities around the U.S. prior to accepting the position at George Fox.

“George Fox University was a great fit for me based on its culture, ethics, and faith,” Dean said.  “My beliefs align with George Fox’s missions and values tand I look forward to building that into our Esports team culture. My goal for the Esports program is to create the largest roster on campus and provide career paths for our students that want to work in the Esports industry.”

George Fox plans to offer both intramural and intercollegiate programs, complete with a 1,200-square-foot arena in its Wheeler Sports Center dedicated to the sport. The university will play both regional and national schools. It is the first institution in its Northwest Conference to offer esports.

George Fox has made the addition official by joining the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE), an organization founded in 2016 that now includes more than 170 member institutions, representing 94 percent of all varsity programs across North America.

Dean is an active member of the NACE community and also currently serves as an at-large board member of the Esports Trade Association. The Esports Trade Association is an organization that is dedicated to growing the Esports industry by providing educational and professional development opportunities to its members to grow their profile, platform, and skill sets in the gaming industry.

Dean attended Western Iowa Tech in Sioux City, Iowa, and studied business with a concentration in management.