Devon H. June 17, 2019
Neil "pr0lly" Hammad is well aware of the frustration among 100 Thieves fans.
The team’s coach has been hit with a lot of blame for their struggles in 2019. Speaking with Travis Gafford, Pr0lly gave his take on 100 Thieves’ issues and directly responded to fans’ calls for him to step down as coach.
According to Pr0lly, the current issue facing 100 Thieves is a lack of cohesion within the team. Though the roster is packed with talent including former SK Telecom T1 AD carry Bae "Bang" Jun-sik, the squad faces long odds if they have no chemistry.
Pr0lly goes on to cover the spring roster moves and discussed the addition of Maurice "Amazing" Stückenschneider, who joined after a brief run as coach of FC Schalke 04 Evolution. According to Pr0lly, the team has had issues with direction and effectiveness due to the lack of a clear shot-caller. Amazing has stepped up to fill that void and has become a strong voice within the team. Pr0lly particularly credited the German player for his blunt, direct discussions of the team’s issues and welcomed that candidness.
Alongside the discussion of adding Amazing, Pr0lly also talked about the rationale behind sticking with Max "Soligo" Soong and Zaqueri “Aphromoo” Black, who came under fire during the Spring Split. Pr0lly stated that the duo spent their break in South Korea bootcamping under the supervision of 100 Thieves’ assistant coach, with seemingly positive results.
On the topic of his own effectiveness as coach, Pr0lly acknowledged that he legitimately considered firing himself due to the team’s troubles. Instead, he spent the break studying and better familiarizing himself with coaching best practices.
At the end of the third week of the Summer Split, 100 Thieves owns a 1-5 record, a far cry from the team’s 2018 season which saw them qualify for the World Championship. Despite that, Pr0lly is hopeful on the team’s future and sees progress behind the scenes.