Editing 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 ==

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 ==

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 ==

=== Early teams and national competition ===

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 ===

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 ==

=== Coaching appointment ===

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 ===

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 [[Badlandz Paintball Field|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 ===

Team Smoke won the professional ten-player division at the 2025 [[International Classic Paintball League|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]

{| class="wikitable"
! 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 ==

* [[Brimstone Smoke]]
* [[Detroit Fusion]]
* [[Ohio Black Reign]]
* [[International Classic Paintball League]]

== References ==

# [https://www.facebook.com/groups/2340461352945517/posts/2343774302614222/ I started playing somewhere around 83, 84]. Paul M DeZarn, ''Complete History of Paintball Films & Discussion'', Facebook, 1 June 2019. First-person retrospective account.
# [https://teamsmokepaintball.com/blog/portfolio/paul-dezarn/ Paul DeZarn]. Team Smoke Paintball, official player and staff profile. Undated; accessed 28 October 2026.
# [https://www.facebook.com/DetroitFusion/posts/faqs-for-professional-paintball-teamdetroit-fusion-with-cesare-pizzoq-how-long-h/10157620133018652/ FAQs for Professional Paintball Team Detroit Fusion, with Cesare Pizzo]. Detroit Fusion, Facebook, 10 August 2020. Includes a list of former players.
# [https://www.instagram.com/p/B8xh5v9h_ph/ Team Smoke welcomes Paul DeZarn as coach]. Team Smoke Paintball, Instagram, 19 February 2020.
# [https://www.facebook.com/teamsmokepaintball/posts/we-hope-everyone-was-able-to-get-out-to-the-fields-and-have-some-fun-over-the-we/734316538479666/ Player of the Week: Paul DeZarn]. Team Smoke Paintball, Facebook, undated team feature. Describes his coaching and management responsibilities.
# [https://pbleagues.com/team/roster/nA9sAd4KaWFJV5Ok Team Smoke at Windy City Classic]. PBLeagues, 2022 event roster; lists Paul DeZarn as checked-in staff.
# [https://pbleagues.com/event/7726/info Windy City Classic]. PBLeagues, official event information, 29 September to 2 October 2022.
# [https://pbleagues.com/team/roster/NYy8yp6qExuuWHxV Team Smoke at Classic Cup]. PBLeagues, 2025 tournament roster; identifies Paul DeZarn as a checked-in coach.
# [https://mlpb.pbleagues.com/team/roster/mGfqL1wk6Q7oVfbb Brimstone Smoke at Windy City Classic]. PBLeagues, 2026 tournament roster; identifies Paul DeZarn as a checked-in coach.
# [https://pbleagues.com/league/435/seasonRankings/2025 International Classic Paintball League: 2025 Season Rankings]. PBLeagues, official event and season standings.
# [https://pbleagues.com/league/435/seasonRankings/2026 International Classic Paintball League: 2026 Season Rankings]. PBLeagues, official event and season standings.

== External links ==

* [https://teamsmokepaintball.com/blog/portfolio/paul-dezarn/ Official Team Smoke profile]
* [https://teamsmokepaintball.com/ Team Smoke official website]

[[Category:American paintball players]]
[[Category:Paintball players]]
[[Category:Paintball coaches]]
[[Category:Paintball people]]