Released as CLG's Head Coach

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I'm sad to announce that on October 14th I was released as head coach for Counter Logic Gaming's League team. I know it may seem out of nowhere but I want to make it clear I wouldn't be willing to put this statement out myself if I didn't respect their decision in the matter. I think CLG may love its fans more than any organization in the scene. They've made this decision knowing full well it may not look like the "right call" in the public eye. I think that is powerful; it takes immeasurably strong character to do.

I cannot understate the amazing experience I had working with the team. It is still surreal thinking about how far the team has come and sharing the moment of celebrating our months of hard work at The Garden is something I will never forget. Getting there, however, was not an easy task. I've learned a lot about what it takes to function as a coach in eSports during my time with CLG, and there are things I wish I could have done better. After talking with management we agreed that I did not live up to the expectations, independent of results, that the organization set out for my position at the beginning of the split. It would be mutually beneficial for myself and the team to part ways as my presence on the team would be a detriment to the team's future.

There were several reasons that led to this decision, but the primary one was my failure to conduct myself as a coach in line with CLG’s and my own standards. In the end I breached the trust of both the organization and the team.

I once heard it said that it is more important to live one sermon well than to speak a thousand eloquently. I find this meaningful because, especially in eSports, the public often only gets to see the well spoken sermons. The carefully groomed and manicured promotion videos. They rarely get a glimpse of what lays on the cutting room floor, which makes it hard to hold perspective on the real people - and as one of them I can say we are as prone to mistakes and failure as anyone. I’ve always explained to the team that many of these experiences should be esoteric. They belong to the team and the team alone. This was one of the first lessons I attempted to impart when I entered the house, and I hope to live that sermon as I depart.

Finally, despite my short tenure with the organization I will always remain proud of my time with the players and I will not be surprised as they continue to grow and succeed next split. Being given charge of the growth of those young men will have been one of my life's greatest honors. I appreciate the players for buying in and working hard, I appreciate the fans and people in the scene who felt they saw my positive impact on the team, and I will especially always be grateful to CLG for the opportunity to work with such a talented organization. With this experience I’ve had the opportunity to grow and learn alongside the players, and will definitely be carrying those lessons forward as I am still very passionate about working with players and teams.

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