Officials at Missouri State University-West Plains (MSU-WP) announced Nickales Lawson as the new head coach of the Grizzly Esports program.
“We are thrilled to welcome Coach Lawson to Grizzly Athletics,” Director of Athletics Rachel Peterson said. “His background as both a competitor and leader in esports makes him the ideal person to guide our team into this exciting new era.”
Lawson is a 2024 graduate of Full Sail University with a Bachelor of Science in Game Business and esports. During his academic career, he was honored as the Salutatorian and received the Course Director’s Award in Sports Events and Entertainment. He has also been involved in several different esports programs serving in multiple roles, ranging from player to coach.
Most recently, Lawson founded the West Plains Vanguard, an esports organization designed to enhance the gaming community and bring the competitive edge of esports to southern Missouri.
“I am honored and excited to step into this role,” Lawson said. “Esports has been a defining part of my life, and leading the Grizzlies is both a privilege and a full-circle moment. I look forward to continuing the great work already in motion and helping our student-athletes reach new levels of success.”
Lawson hopes to build upon the foundation laid by inaugural Grizzly Esports coach Alex Pinnon with goals to expand the team’s roster, build a strong presence in the community and capture a regional championship for the program.
Looking further ahead, Lawson would like to see Grizzly Esports continue to build strategic partnerships, host LAN tournaments on MSU-WP’s campus and create an esports academic pathway at MSU-WP.
New Assistant Coach
Joining Lawson on the coaching staff is Spencer Spreutels, an MSU-WP alumni who was part of the inaugural esports season in the 2022-23 academic year.
Spreutels has been an integral part of the esports program serving as not only a player but the team’s social media manager and has helped leverage Grizzly ESports on a national level with an internship with the National Junior College Athletic Association Esports (NJCAAE).
Spreutels joined as assistant coach in January 2025.
Season Respawns with Fresh Opportunities
The NJCAAE continues to grow with new opportunities as they have added several new titles to its lineup, including Marvel Rivals (Division 1 and 2), Chess and Tekken 8.
The fall season is underway with exhibition matches being played with the official season beginning Sept. 22.
The Grizzlies will compete in various titles, including Marvel Rivals, Mario Kart, Super Smash Bros., Fortnite (No-Build), Apex, Overwatch, Hearthstone and EA FC.
