Breaking Down the NA LCS Coach of the Split Candidates

The NA LCS Coach of the Split award is highly contested, as it’s often difficult to recognize a coach’s direct impact on a team. But certain coaches in the NA LCS are clearly doing more with less.

OpTic Gaming is currently in the NA LCS playoff picture after a ninth-place finish in the Spring Split. Tristan “PowerOfEvil” Schrage has been an absolute monster, and head coach Thomas “Zaboutine” Si-Hassen deserves credit for creating a style that facilitates PowerOfEvil’s enormous potential.

Brandon “St. Vicious” DiMarco has brought FlyQuest its first playoff berth in two years, and his understanding of the team’s strengths in the draft phase is unparalleled in the NA LCS.

But there is one other coach whose influence on his team’s success cannot be understated.

Cloud9’s Bok “Reapered” Han-Gyu is the clear favorite for the Coach of the Split award. A flurry of roster madness held back Cloud9 before Repeared was able to set the right pieces around Top Laner Eric “Licorice” Ritchie, resulting in a surprise run to a second place. Cloud9 was 8-1 in the second half of the Summer Split.

Reapered’s choices were often criticized, but Cloud9’s willingness to take a risk in the era of franchising has paid off. It would not be the team that it currently is without Reapered’s leadership.