Oologah Baseball Coach One Of Nation’s Top Video Gamers

An Oologah baseball coach is one of the best video game players in the world right now.

Now Michael Skimbo practices up to 12 hours a day to stay on top, but just a few years ago, professional gaming wasn’t even a thought.

"I was doing some coaching and teaching, about to really get into it full time, and, you know, just took a step back and realized, you know, this is something that I wanted to go after here. I wasn't ready to grow up just yet," he said.

That was two summers ago.

Now Skimbo, whose college pitching career was cut short by injury, is still playing sports, just on an Xbox.

"Really, growing up it was all about sports. I never even thought about being a pro video game player. I don't even know who even thinks about that kind of stuff. And, you know, God had a plan for me and it all kind of fell into place," Skimbo said.

Since 2016, he has won $225,000 at Madden NFL tournaments across the country.

When he's not at home playing Madden or traveling to live tournaments he's hanging out with his girlfriend or coaching baseball at Oologah High School.

His players know he’s famous, but he always makes sure they still call him coach, not Skimbo.

"We gotta get that straightened out though. I told them that. I love those kids too, but, you know, it's that respect thing, you gotta have it," he said.

Skimbo's safety net is his business degree, but when we asked how long he's planning on being a pro gamer, he said, "Until it runs dry."