The University of Mary Washington athletic department has hired Mark Link to become its first-ever Director of Esports, pending a successful background check.

“I am thankful for this opportunity as Esports has been a huge part of my life for a long time”, said Link. “I am excited to become a member of the community and eager to meet the students. I look forward to the opportunity to mentor the students, both for their success academically and within their games.”

Link, a 2020 graduate of Randolph-Macon College, has coached Esports since March 2020, and is an associate scientist at PPD, a division of Thermo Fisher Scientific in Richmond. He is certified in Leadership Development through BB&T Athlete Academy, and is a National Association of Collegiate Esports Award Recipient.

“At this moment in time, we have an excellent opportunity to introduce a new team sport program and Mark is the perfect fit for our Director of Esports. His background and experience will serve him well as we launch the program and we can’t wait to welcome him to the Department!”

While at Randolph-Macon, Link was a Presidential Scholarship Recipient, member of the Tri-Beta Biology Honors Society, and a wellness advisor through the counseling center. He was an Esports student athlete while at RMC.

Esports will be a team sport at Mary Washington, with competitive and casual programs in place by Fall 2023.