GALESBURG — Russ Ullrich has been named the new esports coach at Carl Sandburg College.

 

Ullrich has served as the esports league administrator at Galesburg High School in addition to his positions there as a secondary business/computer teacher and fine arts and auditorium technical director.

 

Ullrich has overseen the esports league at GHS since its inception five years ago. This past spring, he coached the Silver Streaks as they competed in the inaugural Illinois High School Association esports state series.

 

“I’m really excited to work with the players, continue to grow this program and encourage our athletes to be more active in the Sandburg family,” Ullrich said.

 

Ullrich takes over a Chargers program that includes Todd Gorman, who won the NJCAA Esports 2021 fall national championship in Hearthstone with an unblemished 11-0 record. Gorman’s title marked the first national championship won by Sandburg in any individual or team sport. Sandburg first introduced esports as a competitive sport in 2019, becoming the first community college in Illinois and one of the first two-year schools in the country to offer a varsity gaming team.

 

Sandburg is a member of NJCAA Esports (NJCAAE), the national governing body of esports for two-year colleges. The organization offers competition in several game titles, including FIFA, Hearthstone, Madden, Overwatch, Rainbow 6, Rocket League, Super Smash Bros. and Valorant.