Paul DeZarn
Paul DeZarn is an American paintball player, coach and team manager associated with Brimstone Smoke, also known as Team Smoke. His career has included tournament playing, league administration, refereeing and coaching. His published recollections date his introduction to paintball to 1983 or 1984.[1][2]
DeZarn's former teams include the Dayton All Stars, Dyehards, Crow Warriors, Zero Tolerance, Method, Freak Factory, Detroit Fusion and Ohio Black Reign. His later work with Smoke is documented in team announcements and official tournament rosters.[1][2][3][4]
Early paintball
[edit]In a first-person account published on 1 June 2019, DeZarn recalled beginning in woodland behind apartments in Springboro, Ohio. He progressed into a local league which selected the Dayton Allstars, a team he said subsequently became the Dyehards.[1]
He also recalled a tournament in Morrow, Ohio, which he had understood at the time to be a world championship. His account qualified both that description and his recollection of the opposing teams; it did not give the event's date.[1]
League administration and refereeing
[edit]DeZarn stated that he served as president of the Greater Miami Paintball League and became a NAPRA official during this early period. The account did not specify the dates of either role.[1]
Tournament playing career
[edit]Early teams and national competition
[edit]Team Smoke's official profile lists the Dayton All Stars, Dyehards, Crow Warriors, Zero Tolerance, Detroit Fusion, Freak Factory and OBR among DeZarn's former teams.[2]
His 2019 account additionally identifies Method and the first Freak Factory team. He described progressing into professional competition with Detroit Fusion and subsequently playing a professional season with OBR.[1]
Detroit Fusion independently included Paul M DeZarn in a former-player list published on 10 August 2020. The list also named Erik Hamre, but did not provide dates for individual players' tenures.[3]
Continued participation
[edit]In June 2019, DeZarn wrote that he was still playing and supporting an MSXL team.[1] His subsequent involvement with Smoke included both coaching and team management.[2][4]
Team Smoke and Brimstone Smoke
[edit]Coaching appointment
[edit]On 19 February 2020, Team Smoke publicly welcomed DeZarn as a new team member and coach. The announcement referred to his previous professional playing and coaching experience. It explained that appointing a coach who was not simultaneously playing would allow tactical decisions to be made without placing that responsibility on the players.[4]
The team's official profile identifies DeZarn as its manager and coach and lists his home field as LVL UP Paintball.[2]
Management responsibilities
[edit]A Team Smoke player feature described DeZarn's involvement across the organisation's professional and amateur squads. His responsibilities included sponsorship arrangements, event accommodation, inspecting fields and developing game plans.[5]
Official records document his presence as checked-in staff at the 2022 ICPL Windy City Classic, held at The Badlandz from 29 September to 2 October.[6][7]
PBLeagues subsequently recorded him as a checked-in coach at the 2025 Classic Cup and the 2026 Windy City Classic.[8][9]
Classic Cup victories
[edit]Team Smoke won the professional ten-player division at the 2025 ICPL Classic Cup, with DeZarn registered as a coach. The team finished fourth in the overall 2025 professional ten-player standings with 265 ranking points.[8][10]
Competing as Brimstone Smoke, the team won the professional ten-player Classic Cup again in 2026. It finished second in that year's season standings with 286 points, behind Chicago Aftershock on 292. Its other 2026 finishes included second place at the Pittsburgh Open Classic.[11]
| Year | Competition | Division | Team name recorded | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | ICPL Classic Cup | Professional ten-player | Team Smoke | 1st.[10] |
| 2026 | ICPL Pittsburgh Open Classic | Professional ten-player | Brimstone Smoke | 2nd.[11] |
| 2026 | ICPL Classic Cup | Professional ten-player | Brimstone Smoke | 1st.[11] |
| 2026 | ICPL season standings | Professional ten-player | Brimstone Smoke | 2nd.[11] |
These are team achievements during DeZarn's coaching and management involvement, rather than individual playing titles.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- I started playing somewhere around 83, 84. Paul M DeZarn, Complete History of Paintball Films & Discussion, Facebook, 1 June 2019. First-person retrospective account.
- Paul DeZarn. Team Smoke Paintball, official player and staff profile. Undated; accessed 28 October 2026.
- FAQs for Professional Paintball Team Detroit Fusion, with Cesare Pizzo. Detroit Fusion, Facebook, 10 August 2020. Includes a list of former players.
- Team Smoke welcomes Paul DeZarn as coach. Team Smoke Paintball, Instagram, 19 February 2020.
- Player of the Week: Paul DeZarn. Team Smoke Paintball, Facebook, undated team feature. Describes his coaching and management responsibilities.
- Team Smoke at Windy City Classic. PBLeagues, 2022 event roster; lists Paul DeZarn as checked-in staff.
- Windy City Classic. PBLeagues, official event information, 29 September to 2 October 2022.
- Team Smoke at Classic Cup. PBLeagues, 2025 tournament roster; identifies Paul DeZarn as a checked-in coach.
- Brimstone Smoke at Windy City Classic. PBLeagues, 2026 tournament roster; identifies Paul DeZarn as a checked-in coach.
- International Classic Paintball League: 2025 Season Rankings. PBLeagues, official event and season standings.
- International Classic Paintball League: 2026 Season Rankings. PBLeagues, official event and season standings.