There have been a number of coaching changes for the Shock so far this offseason. While the management team would be amiss to let Head Coach Dae-hee “Crusty” Park leave, they have been busy shaking up the rest of the staff. Here is a roundup of the recent news so fans can stay up-to-date.
The first duo to depart was Jae “Junkbuck” Choi and Ji-won “Arachne” Lee. Just a few days after winning the championship on October 10, the team announced that they were parting ways with these two.
Image Courtesy of Houston Outlaws Twitter
Junkbuck has been the team’s assistant coach since the start of the 2018 season and has helped to leadthem to back-to-back championships. That same day, the Houston Outlaws announced that he was joining their team as co-Head Coach alongside Harsha “Harsha” Bandi.
Image Courtesy of Guangzhou Charge Twitter
Arachne was formerly the coach of Talon Esports. Under his tenure, they finished first place in Contenders Pacific 2019 Seasons 1 and 2. They lost in the Gauntlet to a strong Gen.G team and then the ultimate champions of Element Mystic. After this, the Shock signed him as an Assistant Coach for the 2020 season. After helping the team to their second consecutive championship, the Shock announced they were parting ways with Arachne on October 16. Then twelve days later on October 28, the Guangzhou Charge announced that he would be their new head coach for the 2021 season.
So far there have been two changes here. The team promoted Cas “Casores” van Andel to Assistant Coach, and brought Cheol-yong “Agape” Hong onboard as another Assistant Coach.
Image of San Francisco Shock Twitter
Casores was a late 2020 addition to the coaching staff. The team signed him as an analyst right after playoffs on September 14 in preparation for Grand Finals. Previously he had been with the Atlanta Reign as Player Development Coach, before taking a Head Coach role for the European Contenders team Young & Beautiful. Under his leadership they placed 3rd in Season 2 in June. He also comes with experience as Head Coach of the Netherlands Overwatch World Cup team, taking them to the Quarterfinals.
Image Courtesy of San Francisco Shock Twitter
Agape was on the coaching staff of the London Spitfire since the Inaugural Season. He was Head Coach there until the organization released their coaching staff on October 1st. They subsequently released eight players in mid-October in a complete team overhaul. Agape comes with a strong background, leading London to their 2018 championship. This means all championship-winning Head Coaches are now on the Shock.
This article will continue to be updated when any other coaching changes are announced. Be sure to bookmark it and follow The Game Haus to stay up-to-date on all Overwatch League news!
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