Expanded coaching staff provides training and mentoring to cyber athletes
ASHBURN, VA - AUGUST 23, 2023 - The US Cyber Games®—a yearlong cyber sports program led by Katzcy®—in cooperation with the NICE program at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), today announced the Season III, US Cyber Team® head coach, coaching staff, and program timeline.
US Cyber Games Names Season III Head Coach
Each year, the US Cyber Games program implements a call for coaches and evaluates candidates for various roles. This year, we increased the coaching team to continue to grow a more diverse program.
“We are excited to announce the appointment of Dr. Josh Brunty, Professor of Digital Forensics & Cybersecurity at Marshall University, as Head Coach of the Season III, US Cyber Team,” says Jessica Gulick, Katzcy CEO and Commissioner of the US Cyber Games. “Dr. Brunty has a noteworthy background from both a practitioner and academic perspective, has coached and played in collegiate and federal/ professional cyber competitions, and brings a unique blend of experience that will surely benefit the student-athletes in their training and skills building.”
Dr. Brunty stated, “Cyber competitions encourage the important industry soft skills of collaboration, peer learning, and team building, which is a significant plus for employers in cybersecurity, incident response, and digital forensics. The development and mastering of these critical skills, in my opinion, is the key to closing the cybersecurity skills gap and producing a more competent and confident workforce. I look forward to working with the coaching staff and athletes.”
Wesley Stites, the College of Science Dean at Marshall University, commented, “Josh’s selection as Head Coach is a testament both to his commitment to mentoring the next generation of cyber-scientists and to the quality of our faculty in the great cyber forensic program he comes from. They don’t pick people for this position at random. I am sure that as his team represents the United States in competition against other countries, he’ll do Marshall proud.”
Cyber Games Coaches to Provide Training and Mentoring
This season’s coaching staff come from both academia and corporate. We are pleased to announce that both Season II Head Coach Ken Jenkins and Assistant Head Coach Dr. Dane Brown will continue to stay involved as coaches helping to continue to build a thriving program.
Key individuals of the new coaching staff include:
- Georgia Weidman, Assistant Head Coach
- Jacob Elliott, CTF Coach
- Christopher Haller, RvB Coach
- Dr. Dane Brown, Coach
- Ken Jenkins, Coach
Pipeline Program:
- Dennis Devey, Pipeline Program Lead
- Tim Bates, Pipeline Program Assistant
- Deep Ramanayake, Pipeline Program Assistant
- Angela Ramos, Pipeline Program Assistant
Senior Technical Mentors:
- Dr. Tyler Flaagan
- Tom McGuire
- David Morgan
- Dr. Bryson Payne
Careers and Leadership Mentors:
- Austin Cusak
- Tim King
- Shreyas Kumar
Junior Technical Mentors (previous US Cyber Team members):
- Aidan Benderly
- Chris Issing
- Joshua Klosterman
- Tyler Randolph
- Chris Roberts
- Logan Stratton
Observers and Support Staff:
- Mikel Chamblee
- Joseph Chmielewski
- Steve Cobb
- Alycia Farrell
- Chase Fontenot
US Cyber Games Season III Is in Motion
The Season III, US Cyber Games program began in June 2023 with the US Cyber Open™, a free capture-the-flag event. Athletes who scored well and requested an invitation to the US Cyber Combine™ were invited to participate during this 8-week program where they engage in lectures, RvB and CTF challenges, and are observed and evaluated both on technical and interpersonal/“soft” skills. Nineteen (19) athletes from our Season II, US Cyber Games Pipeline Program were invited to participate in the Season III, US Cyber Combine. On October 16, 2023, a select group of athletes will be drafted to the Season III, US Cyber Team.
The US Cyber Games is seeking organizations that share in their overall mission to bring talented cybersecurity athletes, coaches, and industry leaders together to build a US Cyber Team for global cybersecurity competition. Learn more at www.uscybergames.com/sponsor.
This project is supported by NICE, a program of the National Institute of Standards and Technology in the U.S. Department of Commerce, under financial assistance award #70NANB22H102.
About Katzcy
As a certified Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB), Katzcy is dedicated to growth, innovation, and progress. Through their PlayCyber business line, Katzcy is helping build a stronger and more diverse community of cybersecurity professionals by delivering exciting cyber games experiences. Katzcy’s mission is to bring together and inspire the very best cybersecurity athletes and build a stronger and more diverse community by delivering the world’s most exciting cyber games for players, fans, and sponsors. Visit https://www.katzcy.com to learn more.
