Why did TSM terminate its LCS coach Peter Zhang mid-season?

TSM’s head coach for League of Legends has been fired following the discovery of a conflict of interest, according to a statement made by the esports organization.

TSM LCS head coach Peter Zhang has been terminated from the organization following what the organization describes as serious allegations of conflict of interest and unethical practices. The TSM head coach was terminated on March 18, with the announcement on Twitter referencing vague conflict of interest allegations.

TSM head coach terminated for conflict of interest

Peter Zhang, who had been promoted to head coach following the departure of long-time coach Parth “Parth” Naidu, has been terminated by the organization following unspecified allegations of conflict of interest and unethical behavior. The team published a statement on Twitter announcing the firing and its reasoning for the sudden move, though it doesn’t specify the manner of the behavior that led to his dismissal.

pic.twitter.com/OUUF2TcCIT

— TSM (@TSM) March 18, 2022

A Riot Games employee did take to social media to clarify that the matter was “internal” to TSM, and said further that it did not involve match fixing or anything else that would directly affect the competitive integrity of the LCS.

The 2022 LCS Spring Split has been anything but kind to TSM and its roster. The multiple-time championship organization has fallen from grace, settling into last place as quite possibly the worst LCS team of the spring. At the same time, an exodus of long-time players and staff early in the year combined with a Riot investigation into allegations of unprofessional behavior from founder Andy “Reginald” Dinh have marred the esports titan’s reputation.

The TSM organization announced that it was working with an external legal body to conduct a complete investigation of Zhang’s behavior. Peter Zhang had been working with the organization since 2019 when he joined the organization after serving at Echo Fox from the LCS summer split of 2017. There’s no official detailed explanation for what Zhang did to merit this dismissal, but the departure of the team’s head coach feels like a final death knell for the TSM roster’s spring split.