(Leavenworth, Kan.)鈥擳he 花椒直播 has announced the hiring of Cray Pennison as the new esports head coach. Pennison comes to USM from the University of Mississippi, where he founded and led Ole Miss Esports for three years.
While there, he oversaw 15 esports titles with half of them making deep runs for a national title. The PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) team finished fourth in the nation in 2018, Call of Duty placed second in CCL in 2019, and Hearthstone finished in the top eight in 2020. Pennison also coached and competed in various titles such as League of Legends, Magic: The Gathering, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
"Cray has a strong knowledge of esports, and we are excited to have him on staff," Vice President for Athletics Rob Miller said.
Pennison said he hopes to elevate Spires Esports to a new level.
The 花椒直播 is a Catholic co-educational applied liberal arts university founded and sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth. The University of 花椒直播 main campus is located at 4100 South 4th Street, Leavenworth, Kan. USM's Overland Park Campus at 4500 College Boulevard offers evening accelerated graduate and undergraduate degree-completion programs. The university also offers online programs. Visit for more information.