Serendipity is a term that esports coach Viet Hoang is very familiar with. In fact, he attributes it to being one of the reasons he has found success in his recruitment for the esports team, which has grown by multiple members since April.
Hoang’s journey to becoming Newman’s esports coach started back in 2014, when he met Kurt McDonald. A friendship was formed and McDonald eventually became Newman’s first-ever esports coach in 2023.
“Kurt and I had fun together, we enjoyed similar things and met up one time for lunch,” Hoang said.
After talking, McDonald told Hoang that he may be better suited for Newman’s esports job if Hoang was interested.
“Bless Kurt’s heart,” Hoang said. “It takes a very big man to have the humility Kurt did.”
Hoang has been a part of the Wichita gaming community for years. He once worked at BattleStations, a local gaming cafe, where he coordinated local gaming tournaments, including the noteworthy League of Legends tournament held at Wichita State University, where the winner won $15,000.
Hoang also owns Daikon Cafe, a local restaurant and gaming cafe, so he knew he would be well-equipped for the business side of Newman’s esports coaching position. A majority of which — as he found out — would be recruitment.
Leveling up
Last year, esports faced recruitment challenges due to a late summer timeline and high expectations to fill the roster, all with limited scholarship funds. Hoang knew he had to pivot from recruiting only traditional undergraduate students, considering high school seniors were graduating a month after Hoang was hired. He asked himself, “What if I could recruit adults?”
While the idea was intriguing, Hoang wasn’t sure how to implement it, until serendipity found him once again. This time, almost instantaneously.
“Since I was a new hire, I wanted to introduce myself to other staff and faculty,” Hoang said. “I walked into the business building and ran into Teresa (Wilkerson), who told me about the adult professional studies program. Statistics for gamers now are ages 35 and below. That means they are a part of the workforce.”
Due to the lack of scholarships, he talked with Wilkerson about reaching out to potential adult and professional studies students already in established jobs — places like Textron, Cargill, Spirit Aerosystems, Koch Industries and NetApp.
Eighty percent of Hoang’s esports students ended up coming to Newman for the adult and professional studies program. Only one of the six players Hoang recruited is a traditional student.
Meet first-year student Kelby Woods
People can say what they will about Wichita weather, but Mother Nature certainly played a role in Hoang’s and Woods’ recruitment story.
Kelby Woods is a first-year student from Stillwater, Oklahoma, who happened to be in Wichita for a Super Smash Bros. tournament last summer. When there were only eight people left in the outdoor tournament, Wichita’s weather took a stormy turn and the organizers had to relocate due to rain.
Hoang had nothing to do with this particular tournament until he got the phone call. The organizers asked if the top eight could play at Daikon Cafe, Hoang’s restaurant.
Not only did Hoang agree, he saw it as a perfect recruiting opportunity. He offered a Newman esports scholarship to the tournament winner.
Woods took first place at the tournament, accepted the scholarship to play for esports and is now in his first semester as a Newman sociology student.
Newman University’s slogan is “A Degree of Difference.” In the world of esports, serendipity isn’t just a fortunate accident; it’s a transformative force.
By embracing the unexpected, Hoang has not only built a thriving team but also opened doors for nontraditional students, proving that sometimes the most significant changes come from unpredictable moments.
Explore esports at Newman University
Find the roster, team schedule, latest news and more on the Newman Athletics website.
