Bio

The Muskingum University Athletic Department has named Jake Arno as head coach of esports.

In his first season at the helm, Arno led the Muskies to multiple impressive finishes across multiple games. Highlighting the first year was the Midwest Rainbow Six Siege team who won the National Championship over Kansas University and finished the season 11-0 in the fall. Arno also guided the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate team to a third place finish in the fall with a record of 10-1.

Arno most recently worked as an esports intern at Miami University while completing his master's in esports management. During his internship, he worked closely with all the leaders and directors of the Miami esports program and assisted with the operations and logistics of managing various esports programs.

"As we welcome Jake to the athletic department, we are excited for the energy that he brings to the position in regard to knowledge, experience, and promotional activities centered around our team and our competitive success," said Muskingum Director of Athletics Kari Winters. "As the hiring committee worked through this national search, it became evident that Coach Arno will be relatable to both our roster and our recruits (and their families) right off the bat and that he has the energy to carry the successful tradition of Muskingum esports into the future!"

Prior to Miami, Arno was an esports game manager and coach at Ohio Northern University. He managed the Overwatch varsity and junior varsity squads, coordinated practices, and weekly team and individual VOD reviews. Arno led the player development and overall team growth for two seasons.

Arno competed competitively on the Ohio Northern esports team as a varsity student-athlete for Overwatch and Valorant. During his time as a Polar Bear, Arno worked as a youth esports coach for Vanta Leagues in Boston, served as the Gaming Club President, and was an esports general assistant. Under his leadership, the Gaming Club grew to 250+ students.

Arno graduated from Ohio Northern in 2023 with a bachelor's in accounting. He earned his master's in esports management in 2024.