After another last-place finish in the NA LCS, Golden Guardians are making a change to their coaching staff. The team is signing head coach Nick “Inero” Smith for their second season of competitive play.
We're also excited to welcome @inerolol as our LCS Head Coach for the Golden Guardians!
Full details » https://t.co/pmWdBfGYS0 pic.twitter.com/c0F2aPthvV
— Golden Guardians (@GoldenGuardians) October 17, 2018
Inero would show his excitement through the team’s press release. He says, ” I’m excited to get working with such an experienced, passionate manager who believes in my approach. Our vision for the future of competition and esports is in complete alignment, and I’m excited to help lead this team in the upcoming season.” Inero was last seen coaching Echo Fox from May 2017 to July 2018. He would help the team finish second in 2018 Spring Split. Also, the addition of Inero coincides with the acquisition of Denan Flanders as the team’s first-ever general manager.
In the team’s press release, Flanders would say:
With the 2019 competitive season on the horizon, I’m thrilled to be named the first-ever general manager for the Golden Guardians. The resources and perspective that the Golden State Warriors provide their esports initiatives are second to none, and I’m excited to capitalize on the relationship we’re afforded by working alongside their traditional sports divisions. Along with this, I aim to be a driving force for change in the League of Legends competitive scene and GGS is providing me the tools and autonomy to make waves from day one.
Flanders was formerly the senior general manager of Cloud9, where he had been working at for around four years. However, Flanders has been working in and around the esports scene since 2010.
Golden Guardians’ 2018 and beyond
Golden Guardians fans can all agree that any change is welcome for the new NA LCS organization. Their 2018 was a lackluster year to say the least, with the team struggling for both seasons. In the Spring Split, the team would lean on LCS veteran Hai “Hai” Du Lam for guidance. Also, picking up jungler Juan “Contractz” Arturo Garcia from Cloud9 was a huge step up. Contractz was looking like the next big star jungler in the region.
Unfortunately, Golden Guardians would flounder in their first split in the NA LCS. They would go winless until their fourth week, only managing to win four wins in the season. It was clear that the team was lacking synergy and a whole lot of talent in their lanes. It was clear that having Hai in the mid lane was a bane rather than a boon. The team would need to make changes for the upcoming season. However, their changes wouldn’t do much for their success.
For the 2018 Summer Split, Golden Guardians would replace Hai with Son “Mickey” Young-min. Mickey would previously play for Team Liquid to avoid relegation. In the beginning of the season, Golden Guardians would surprise fans by going 4-4 by the halfway mark of the split. However, they would falter in the second half, only winning one more game out of eight. It was clear that this team just didn’t have the firepower to compete with the higher echelons of the league.
Final Thoughts
For Golden Guardians, this may be the first change of many. Starting with the foundation should be good, but their main concern should still be the roster. Improving their mid and bottom lane should be the priority, as they were a huge reason for their losses last split. We will see if a strong staff can help this team win more games for the 2019 year.
What are your thoughts on Golden Guardians adding Inero as head coach? Let us know what you think in the comments below! If you want more NA LCS coverage, check us out here!
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