Brendan Jensen, a former professional esports player from Warren, Michigan, is now impacting the future of his sport by coaching and mentoring Michigan State’s surging Esports team. He was hired on Feb. 12, marking a happy return to Michigan after nearly a decade competing at the highest levels of esports.
Jensen joined MSU Esports earlier this semester and now oversees the varsity A and B Valorant teams. His hiring brings professional experience to a program that continues to grow on the national collegiate Esports stage.
“To be able to bring everything I’ve learned back to Michigan is really meaningful,” Jensen, 25, said. “This program is heading in the right direction, and I’m excited to be part of it.”
Jensen began competing seriously in Esports in 2017. His early breakthrough came at Fragadelphia 12, a grassroots LAN tournament, where his team won a Battalion 1944 event despite entering as a lower seed.
“That was the event that really sparked my interest in esports,” Jensen said. “It showed me that if you put in enough work, you can compete with anyone.”
Jensen went on to compete in several titles, ranking among the top 200 players nationwide in Overwatch before transitioning to Call of Duty: Blackout. He earned prize money in Blackout through kill‑race tournaments hosted by prominent streamers, including Dr. Disrespect.
He later found sustained success in Apex Legends, forming a team that was eventually signed by T1, a major international esports organization. Jensen competed professionally in Apex for more than a year before deciding in 2020 to switch to Valorant.
Valorant, developed by Riot Games, is a five‑on‑five tactical first‑person shooter that emphasizes strategy, precision and communication. Jensen said the game’s competitive structure played a major role in his transition.
“Battle royale games have a lot of variables you can’t control,” Jensen said. “In Valorant, if you’re the better team on the day, you should win.”
Jensen quickly emerged as one of Valorant’s early standout players, ranking multiple accounts in the top 500 worldwide during the game’s initial competitive seasons. His most notable professional achievement came with XSET, a North American organization that qualified for Valorant Champions 2022 as the region’s top seed. The team finished tied for fifth, one of the strongest international results by a North American roster that year.
Most recently, Jensen competed with Shopify Rebellion in the Valorant Challengers circuit and worked in Los Angeles.
Entering 2025 without a professional playing contract, Jensen shifted part of his focus toward coaching. Michigan State’s position stood out because it allowed him to coach part time and remotely while remaining in Michigan.
“That flexibility was extremely important to me,” Jensen said. “It allowed me to stay close to home while still being involved at a high level in esports.”
As head Valorant coach, Jensen focuses on preparation, review and player development rather than real‑time in‑game control. Collegiate Valorant coaches are limited to two tactical pauses per game and communication during halftime.
“Coaching in esports is different from traditional sports,” Jensen said. “You can’t control everything in the moment, so it’s about giving players the tools they need to make good decisions on their own.”
The Spartans practice multiple times per week, both in person at MSU’s esports facilities and through online scrimmages against teams nationwide. The varsity roster is preparing for competitions in Chicago and Las Vegas later this year.
Senior Maxwell Humes, from St. Joseph, Michigan, said Jensen’s professional background has already influenced the program.
“Having a coach who’s competed at the highest level changes the way you approach the game,” Humes said. “He understands pressure and preparation in a way that really matters.”
Humes said Jensen’s coaching style has helped bring structure and consistency to the team.
“He sets a clear standard for how we practice and how we communicate,” Humes said. “He focuses on the details, and that makes us more confident going into matches.”
While coaching at MSU, Jensen said he continues to pursue opportunities as a competitor.
“Competing is still my main focus,” Jensen said. “Coaching lets me give back while I continue working toward my own goals.”