adler

Harley Adler

Marywood University announced Harley Adler (they/them) as Director of Esports in the spring of 2022. Adler takes over a Marywood program that reached a pair of conference finals in its inaugural season. Additionally, they will serve as the Pacers' Overwatch coach. 

Adler brings experience at both the institutional and conference levels. As a gamer, they logged in over 1,500 hours in League of Legends.

Adler served as the President of the SUNY Oneonta esports club from Jan. 2018 to May 2021. They created 20 competitive Red Dragons teams that competed against game titles that include Super Smash Bros Ultimate, Rocket League and Overwatch. Adler oversaw club competition in the first-ever SUNY Esports League offered to 64 institutions. 

Additionally, they oversaw the financial aspects of the program and integrated the Oneonta State student body to host intramural esports events. 

"I'm very excited to get started at Marywood," Adler said. "I was able to get a lot of experience from Oneonta esports. At Marywood, I saw a group of people seriously dedicated to esports, and they put the facilities and staff behind it."

"I'm happy to carve out a place at Marywood that allows for esports to thrive."

Adler has professional experience at the National Esports Collegiate Conference (NECC). They served as a game manager for the NECC. Adler helped coordinate a semester-long League of Legends tournament that featured 65 colleges, including Marywood, in North America. As game manager, they were in charge of scheduling, social media and streaming. 

The Hudson River Valley, N.Y. native is excited to oversee the Marywood's new Esports Center. The 2,000 square foot center, located within Marywood's Nazareth Student Center, blends function and practicality into an exciting, state-of-the-art gaming center. In addition to the 30 gaming stations, the high-tech facility features additional ultra-modern lighting, chairs, gaming lounge and equipment.

"This is a wonderful facility," Adler said. "A lot of time and effort went into making the esports arena. There is attention for a space that's relaxing for students to perform at their best."

In the past year, Adler was also an Esports Program Contractor at Concorde Education. They focused on creating lesson plans and digital workshops to grow the sport. Adler was also the Esports Director for Tactical Banditry. 

Adler graduated from SUNY Oneonta in 2021 with a bachelor degree in digital and studio art with a minor in linguistics.