News

Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College has named alum Thales Vilar the new esports head coach.

Originally from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Vilar played on the NEO Men’s Soccer team and graduated from NEO in 2020 with an information systems degree. His passion for NEO remained after graduation, and the idea of creating a gaming team inspired him to stay and help develop the program.

“We are taking gaming and giving it a purpose. The main goal is to give more opportunities for those seeking it,” said Vilar. “With the best resources we will guide those students to a successful life academically and professionally.”

Since the establishment of the team in 2021, NEO Esports has successfully captured more than eight gaming titles, including being two-time National Junior College Athletics Association Esports National Champions and the Oklahoma Association of Collegiate Esports State Champion. Gaming at NEO averages over 40 students per semester and has brought more than 15 international students and over 100 students from the United States to the college.

Esports: https://NEO.edu/esports

For more information, contact NEO Esports head coach Thales Vilar at tvilar@neo.edu or 918-540-6176.NEO