OTTAWA, Kan. – Ottawa University Director of Athletics, Arabie Conner, is pleased to announce the hiring of Alex Madera as the Director of Esports at Ottawa University.
 
Madera comes to OU following two seasons as the Head Esports Coach at Culver-Stockton College in Canton, Mo. While there, he was responsible for recruiting, coaching, and managing students in various esports titles. Under Madera's leadership, the esports facilities were vastly improved with the purchase and implementation of more than $70,000 of equipment. He was very involved with the Culver-Stockton community, finding local businesses to support the program. Madera conducted multiple marketing campaigns on social media, which grew their audience to more than 2,000 Twitter followers in just a few years.
 
"This was a lengthy but rewarding search which drew a lot of interest in the midst of exciting times and growth in esports across the country," said Conner. "I believe we have found a perfect fit who can manage this program and take it to new levels. Alex was exceptional during the interview process and will bring fantastic leadership as well as critical stability to our program. His approach is humble and appreciative with a clear vision, confidence and passion for esports that will be well received by all both inside and outside of the community, as we continue to build our program. During the interview process, it was clear that Alex is committed to holding our program to the highest of standards in all facets and further raise our visibility and profile."
 
As Director of Esports, Madera will oversee the strategic growth plan and overall success of the Braves Esports program. That includes the leadership and management of an expanding line up of esports titles; Valorant, Call of Duty, Overwatch, CSGO, League of Legends, Rocket League, Fortnite, and Smash Ultimate. Having quickly established itself as one of the best in the country, the Braves Esports team has won multiple Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference championships and the Collegiate Call of Duty Championship in 2021.
 
The OU Esports team competes in Peters Auditorium, a 200-seat state-of-the-art esports arena and video/broadcast production facility that features a main stage for matches, tournaments and spectator events.
 
"I'm excited to accept this position at Ottawa University," said Madera. "I immediately connected to the university's mission and vision, which perfectly align with my own values and beliefs. As the new Director of Esports, I will use all available resources to help our student-athletes to be successful in both academics and esports. I will also use my knowledge and Ottawa's support to increase the competitiveness inside the program while providing more opportunities to those interested to compete at the collegiate level." 
 
Prior to coaching, Madera was an undergraduate student assistant in both the marketing and information technology departments at Culver-Stockton from 2018 to 2020. He graduated from Culver-Stockton with a Bachelor of Science in Sport Management degree (2020) and a Master of Business Administration degree (2022).
 
"I want to acknowledge the patience and support of our student leaders within the program, especially our hard-working graduate assistant, Riley Boyd, who helped us considerably during this transition," said Conner. "The program showed true signs of maturity and growth that one would expect to see over time as a program establishes itself and evolves. I anticipate the next chapter of Brave Esports will be exciting to watch continue to rise with the return of our student leadership and buy-in."  
 
 
"I would like to thank God for this opportunity," said Madera. "Even in the hardest moments I felt His presence with me, and I honestly would not be here without Him. I would also like to thank my family. They have always supported me and pushed me to be the best version of me. I would like to thank all those, who in one way or another, had an impact in my life such as Culver-Stockton College student body and staff. Lastly, I would like to thank Arabie Conner, Bruce Tate, the search committee, and the Ottawa University community for this opportunity."