# Fictitious Football Merchandising Deals Dan Kats' Virtual 'Coach Duggs' Now Has a Merch Line By Jason McCullough | Published 2020-06-10 | Lifestyle Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dan-kats References: [sportscasting](https://www.sportscasting.com/meet-gus-duggerton-the-video-game-football-coach-whos-taking-over-the-sports-world/) & [store.barstoolsports](https://store.barstoolsports.com/collections/university-of-tennessee) For a major sports fan such as Dan Kats or 'BigCat,' quarantine with no sports to watch was a problem -- to fill his craving for sports action, the popular co-host of the [Barstool](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sklz) Sports podcast 'Pardon My Take' decided to start streaming himself on Twitch while playing the NCAA Football '14 video game. He created a fictional coach, Gus Duggerton, and it took off. '[Coach Duggs'](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/savannah-bananas) as he's called became famous with the help of Barstool's platform and the Twitch stream which BigCat plays every game on which has gotten up to 60,000 views during a game. His latest team, [Tennessee Volunteers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mayotivations-campaign), recognized an opportunity and partnered with Duggs and Barstool to produce their own merchandise line of 'Coach Duggs' clothing. With actual Colleges, College Coaches & Sports Reporters social media accounts interacting and promoting Coach Duggs, it is clear that although fictitious, Dan Katz was able to turn a yearning for sports into a lucrative business opportunity. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 3.2/10 - Popularity: 33% | Activity: 55% | Freshness: 9% - Audience gender: 90% men, 10% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Lifestyle](https://www.trendhunter.com/lifestyle) > [Sports](https://www.trendhunter.com/sports) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Virtual Sports Merchandising:** Creating merchandise lines for popular virtual sports figures could be a new trend in sports merchandising. - **Fictitious Sports Figures:** Fictitious sports figures such as 'Coach Duggs' could become a popular trend in the world of virtual sports gaming and merchandising. - **Personal Branding in Gaming:** Creating and promoting personal brands within the virtual sports gaming community could be a trend in marketing and advertising. ### Who This Affects Most - **Sports Merchandising:** Companies that specialize in sports merchandising could find new business opportunities by partnering with popular virtual sports figures and creating merchandise lines. - **Virtual Sports Gaming:** The world of virtual sports gaming could see growth as more people discover the potential for personal branding and monetization within these gaming communities. - **Marketing and Advertising:** Marketing and advertising companies could explore the potential for promoting personal brands within the virtual sports gaming community and partnering with popular virtual sports figures. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Esports Influencer Tours](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pga-tour-2k23-1.md) - [Co-Branded Golfing Products](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sklz.md) - [Dynamic Pro-Ballplayer Partnerships](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/savannah-bananas.md) - [Interactive VTuber Mascots](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mascot-vtuber.md) - [College Football Ad Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/coach-prime.md) - [Game-Inspired Y2K Collaborations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/flyquest-1.md) - [QSR In-App Football Games](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tendy-toss-inapp-game.md) - [Fandom-Exploring Sports Partnerships](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sports-partnership.md) - [Soccer-Specific Online Retail Destinations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/men-in-blazers.md)