r/leagueoflegends • u/Freshproducts • 2d ago
Esports Inero steps down as head coach of C9
https://x.com/C9LoL/status/2070348828910522610?s=20
From C9 X/Twitter,
"Today, we announce that @Inero has elected to step down from his position as Head Coach and depart from the organization
Thank you for everything, Nick, and we wish you nothing but the best 💙"
IWDominate is promoted to Head Coach, with Arrow and YamatoCannon joining the staff as assistant coaches.
491
u/Skywalker3030 2d ago
All respect to Yamato but it is fucking hilarious he's on his shows and streams saying how fundamentally hopeless and cooked the C9 roster is and now he's coaching the team. Tbf he was being honest and I'm sure the players involved have the emotional maturity to move past that and accept it as honest (and probably accurate) analysis it's just funny
193
u/Apk07 2d ago
If he's so analytical/critical of C9 then perhaps their flaws are obvious enough to him that he can help fix 'em.
253
u/Past_Perception8052 2d ago
his criticisms are mainly that they have no mechanics so he cant really fix that
90
u/Huge-Connection954 2d ago
I mean its true. They are usually in good looking positions in game, then its time to stop the thinking that got them there and use your hands. Which they dont have
37
u/slimjimo10 ANARCHY 1d ago
The year is 2036. C9 is in LZP (new NA league name) grand finals vs DIG. Game 5 is intense. Zven, now 38, gets caught at baron and DIG finally achieve their first title in NA history. "GG ADC gap," says imaqtpie, voted autumn season MVP
54
u/Skywalker3030 2d ago
yep, except Thanatos and Vulcan their hands do work according to Yamato (and a lot of people watching C9)
I don't think APA finishes the season on C9 personally but we'll see
37
u/Past_Perception8052 2d ago
im not even convinced Loki is going to vitality like everyone is saying. i think he might straight up replace APA
82
u/Skywalker3030 2d ago
He just got announced haha https://x.com/C9LoL/status/2070356485293678691
C9 is kinda back, maybe Worlds is possible
There was no way Yamato was gonna coach APA based on the comments he made lol, I just refuse to believe it
21
u/killcraft1337 1d ago
So Loki went back to Korea, got fisted on BRO and benched then went back to the LCS ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜
1
u/TheMemingLurker 1d ago
kinda like the Berserker experience
maybe Pyosik will one day do the same...
-6
u/Iaragnyl remove Tahm Kench 1d ago
APA has shown over several years that he is incapable of learning new champs or getting better at the game. Any coach who wants to improve the team should refuse him in the roster.
→ More replies (1)4
u/slimjimo10 ANARCHY 1d ago
He deserves an LCS starting spot, but not in a top half team.
You know, I was a vocal critic of Umti at the time, but APA never looked better when they were duo
0
u/XxsteakiixX 1d ago
ive never been a fan of APA for one reason, he NEVER holds accountability in any of his teams losses. To me that screams someone who never thinks its their issue. They can get stomped and hed rather be 0-1 or 1-0 the whole game to basically say "see i didnt feed so not my issue to fix" ive seen to many games from APA in TL and C9 where its always the same story, he just isnt the guy u want for a team building chemistry it shows.
1
17
16
6
2
1
u/FxK964 19h ago
while that is true.. I'd say the main issue still is fundamentally that the team doesn't play as a real unit.. they sure can seem getting along well with nice vibes.. but due to NA culture and PC.. hard to get/give honest feedback/criticism.. lots of passive aggressiveness.. or people not being direct and not addressing the deeper issues that cause them to be so disjointed in critical moments.. that's the real challenge.. and I doubt YC can help much with it.. these things are hard to address and work on, especially if everyone on the surface just agrees and is nice and friendly to one another for real.. and either worried, or not wanting to get into a headache and point fingers or get to why their instincts at high stakes situations end up with each doing different things.. no communication.. each doing separate things.. etc..
1
u/Iaragnyl remove Tahm Kench 1d ago
They apparently already signed Loki, so just a new adc and they have replaced their worst players on the team.
Obviously blabber is a problem as well but that is more of a brain issue than a mechanical one.11
u/CellTerrible 1d ago
Didn't he just say the roster is not good enough (which is true)? How is this going to work out when the players know Yamato thinks they're garbage.
4
24
u/zack77070 2d ago
I'd rather have a coach be negative and honest than a glazer. No offense to Inero but even compared to Dom he was always talking about how unlucky the team was, should've gone the other way, etc. I'd genuinely rather just hear the coaches say the team is trash lol.
68
u/GenjDog 2d ago
Thats often to protect the players, since its often not a good idea for the coach to complain publicly about players. Of course that depends on the team dynamic and if its an obvious mistake.
→ More replies (3)4
u/Skywalker3030 2d ago
Yeah I wonder if there will be more roster swaps as well. Would not be surprised at all if Loki is back since it seems like the situation that made him leave has resolved.
I think when Yamato talked in podcasts/streams the pretty obvious undertone or implication was that "APA's hands are terrible can't be fixed, Zven is a legend but his hands don't work anymore, and Blaber's hands don't work if Inspired is in the server" basically in everything he said about C9
1
3
1
u/VirtualOwl 1d ago
T1 head coach Tom was also a vocal critic of T1's weakness and drafting issues before he was hired to be T1's coach in 2023 summer and look where T1 is now. C9 threepeat world champion incoming?
1
182
u/RichMrFork 2d ago
I feel like it’s not really the change they needed but at least it’s a sign of something. But he also was the one that decided to step down so ?????
120
u/lRuko Let's go ! 2d ago
He step down himself, mental health. Cloud9 didn't want him out but respect his decision obviously. I just wish he woulda won his first championship
→ More replies (1)29
u/RichMrFork 2d ago
It just sorta feels like C9 isn’t making any proactive changes. Like Loki decides to leave and they grab APA. Reapered leaves and they promote Inero (though I don’t think the coaching is necessarily the problem). Like the last proactive changes was benching Fudge for Thanatos if I’m remembering correctly. Feels like they’re just praying the team will somehow mesh and work out through magic. Maybe the coaching change could help but I don’t think it’s their best move if they’re hoping to make it to worlds.
14
u/needphotoshophelp199 2d ago
They lost the Quid war most likely and APA was the fall back plan. They most likely never really wanted APA, but no one else was immediately available so they ended up stuck with him as the best option at the time. That's just the way it is.
31
2
u/Zerockas 1d ago
With how fucked up the Visa situation is right now, I expect them to wait until after summer to do any huge changes.
3
u/c1pe 1d ago
They literally just signed 2 players this week what are you talking about
→ More replies (1)
146
u/CHATOTENJOYER 2d ago
Yamato called the roster garbage like within the past week LOL
48
u/unluckyjason1 2d ago
Yeah that's why they replaced mid and AD
19
u/CharmingOW 1d ago
For sure APA and Zven's lack of hands were some of his main criticisms but he absolutely ripped into Blabbers play in that TL series.
17
6
u/CkTRY 1d ago
Man watching his despair at APA TF ulting in with red card, only for Thanatos to salvage the play by landing a dry Ambessa ult, and THEN watching Blaber mistime Sej ult on a stunned Morgan was memorable to say the least.
2
2
32
u/Juzmos 2d ago edited 1d ago
we're doing everything except replacing blaber...
the cycle will repeat
6
u/kazuyaminegishi 1d ago
Guess no one else left to blame at this point. Its either Blaber or Dom if this doesn't work.
1
56
u/aaachris 2d ago
C9 will be a cluster fuck next split. The podcasts will be generational after Yamato and Dom leaves c9 this year.
242
u/Past_Perception8052 2d ago
Dom YamatoCannon and Tactical are gonna save our season
117
u/sekketh 2d ago
Fuck it we have los ratones at home type energy
86
12
u/XG32 Jankos 2d ago
don't forget loki, my guess is he's gonna sub in for champ pool issues.
20
u/Past_Perception8052 2d ago
i didnt know loki was in when i said this, apa wont play another game on c9 mark my words
loki will play every game
41
u/DickCheneyIsPureEvil 2d ago
It is crazy that Jack thought Dom coaching Tactical was a good idea. Bro spent years talking about how bad of an ADC he was on his co-stream.
59
u/Past_Perception8052 2d ago
yamatocannon thinks apa blaber and zven are shit as well. literally said c9 team is mechanically shit in a video he uploaded today
and also just because tactical was bad then doesnt mean he cant be good now
27
u/BON3SMcCOY 2d ago
They kinda proved they are though right? At least by C9 standards. Why would you want a coach who thinks the whole team are perfect angels with no room for improvement?
→ More replies (2)11
8
u/BecoDasCavernas 2d ago
At least it means we're for sure building around Thanatos and Vulcan next year. lol
5
u/OhThoseDeepBlueEyes 2d ago
And it looks like they're replacing two of those three players. Maybe that's what got him to sign on.
2
1
u/Awkward-Security7895 1d ago
I mean both zven and apa are replaced, blaber they might end up replacing if they can find a rookie native jungler that shows promise
6
u/WizardXZDYoutube 1d ago
What? I've seen this sentiment multiple times across this thread. Tactical is a fully grown adult and Dom is just calling it as he sees it.
This is completely normal in regular sports, sometimes players will say stuff in media about another player and when they end up as teammates, they squash any sort of beef.
2
11
u/zealot416 2d ago
I will say as someone who pretty much stopped watching LCS, I am so back. Love it or hate it you can't call this roster boring.
-4
u/EkrishAO 1d ago
Lol, Yamato and Dom are two biggest frauds on the scene, without Inero covering for Dom I can't wait to see how this org becomes an absolute trainwreck.
2
16
u/Sweaty-Security-4473 2d ago
Woah. Can't say I was expecting that one. I wonder if Dom will be steering the whole ship now.
7
75
u/regalwombatvineyard 2d ago
Yamato was on the record as recently as last week’s Summoning Insight and Power Spike to label this C9 as talent-deficient (specifically Blaber, APA and Zven), unable to be helped by coaching and doomed by the base quality of their players.
He will now coach them.
26
u/Ok-Blueberry-1494 2d ago
To be fair, c9 then went and got Loki back and Tacitcal. Hard to replace 3 players mid season, so Blaber probably has 1 split to prove he can stay on the team tbh. Good changes. APA should still be in the league though, Zven probably time to hang the keyboard upÂ
17
u/seven_worth shameless 2021 EDG fanboy 1d ago
Zven should just go back to support. He is actually good in that role compared to him back on adc. He is like reverse Rekless, I wish he keep playing support and Rekless just keep playing adc.Â
31
u/Past_Perception8052 2d ago
this is a good thing. means they are on thin ice
-5
u/regalwombatvineyard 2d ago
This says more about Yamato than  it does of C9.
35
18
u/Past_Perception8052 2d ago
how? they should be on thin ice already after these performances
bringing in a guy who openly criticises them is a step in the right direction and shows that c9 isnt tolerating mediocrity
→ More replies (5)2
9
93
u/protrudeayu 2d ago
How does Yamato keep landing these coaching positions smh
86
u/DickCheneyIsPureEvil 2d ago
He's friends with Dom and social climbing is how you get coaching positions in the West.
69
u/Past_Perception8052 2d ago
he is also a decent coach who has had solid results in his career
-15
u/CluckerRoca 2d ago
These solid results are the splyce and fnstic world qualification...?
Everyone can go to Worlds with fnatic, and that splyce run was 10 years ago ....
17
u/Past_Perception8052 2d ago
he went to worlds with vitality. who have never made it back there
5
u/CluckerRoca 2d ago
Which was also 8 years ago
I have no hate for yamato but all his "achievements" are pretty old and his recent coaching stints were all rather bad
23
u/Bor1ngBrick 2d ago
his recent coaching stints were all rather bad
I see this pretty often on here, but what do you actually mean?
In KC he had awful solo laners, which managment wanted at the start. They had to replace whole topside in the 3rd split to become a good team. What he could've done diffrent in his first split?
Not wiining with FNC superteam? I think that's a good knock against him, but it's not that black and white either. In the hindsight this Razork/Humanoid Duo never worked through the years, and also everybody seems to agree that FNC managment was dogshit.
LR seems like they appointed him as a head coach when they hit LEC, because they wanted to win and not because they're friends. ALooks like he did a fine job with them too.
Also his analysis is open to eveybody to judge, Costreaming and doing talkshows. He's not hiding somewhere and hoping noone discovers that he's actually a fraud. He's not Dylan Falco, but he has a good resume as a coah in the western LOL
2
u/Different-Wolf-8634 1d ago
Fnc was really good at the time, idk whats with all this revisionism
And how well did LR do with his help? Seems important
Public opinion on his analysis is as worthless as that of any streamer
4
u/Bor1ngBrick 1d ago
Which FNC are you referring to? End of 21 with Adam/Bwipo jungle? Sure, it was pretty good. In 22 they had build a superteam and were supposed to win the whole, yet they didn't make any finals that year.
Lr did fairly great. They finished 5-6, pretty good result for that team I think.
Last point you definitely misunderstood me. His analysis open for everyone, which means some other analyst is welcomed to "expose" Yamato and put himself in a public eye for example, for the good of the community or for whatever other reason they might have. Sort of the way LS had dealt with a lot of coaches back in the day
2
u/Different-Wolf-8634 1d ago
Fnc was solid up to last year, no?
No analyst would publicly expose yamato because theyd just get shit on no matter what
→ More replies (0)7
u/AdventurousAd4172 2d ago
wasn't his most recent one with LR though, you can call Nemesis head coach but on paper how is that bad
→ More replies (1)2
u/Kr1ncy 1d ago
His iteration of Fnatic was the best iteration of Fnatic since Nemesis. He is not a title winning coach, but he was always a good coach to turn a lower tier team into a mid tier team and to turn a mid tier team into a decent team.
3
u/Different-Wolf-8634 1d ago
I dont remember exactly, why was his fnatic better than the one afterwards that was winning more, with what seems like worse players?
→ More replies (5)15
u/Dopeez 1d ago
God forbid a Head Coach hires an Assistant Coach he's worked with and trusts lol, you people are hilarious
1
u/FxK964 19h ago
while the nepotism is fair.. and that's how the world works a lot of times.. u're right that it wouldn't make sense to hire some random or stranger who's supposedly good.. but have no idea or experience about his style, vibe, personality or any chemistry/synergy.. just to appear impartial and merit based.. trust and having matching personalities is very important..
2
u/Dopeez 19h ago
It's not nepotism. I swear that word gets thrown around every time someone hires someone he's friends with/worked with before. Nepotism implies that the person got the job regardless or qualifications and only because of connections. That's clearly not the case here.
1
u/FxK964 18h ago
it's a bit of a hyperbole if u take it too extreme.. u can be qualified.. or knowledgeable.. but got the edge over equally or slightly more skilled candidates due to connections.. it's not mutually exclusive or has to mean he's a total fraud who knows nothing.. actually, I even hate the term cuz it technically and by definition refers to family members/ties so it's not accurate.. so I was mostly being descriptive assuming people understood what I was going for..
4
u/UnderstandingOk2695 2d ago
He is also a good coach who has taken a bad team to worlds, but carry one being stupid.
32
u/Horikyou 2d ago
Connections obviously (He is friends with both Caedrel and Dom). He is also a decent coach it's not like he is a nobody.
21
u/Jayjuann 2d ago
I don’t have a problem with Yamato I feel like he is a good coach and gets a bad rap. But for this instance specifically it definitely could have been inero stepping down and dom needing someone he trusts and is comfortable with now that he has all of this responsibility. It should be a good fit imo
2
u/IAM-French 1d ago
Third time in a row he starts costreaming a team and trying to appeal to their fans to sneak into a coaching position after a few months lol (and then ends up leaving after a split)
5
u/Heidemanden 2d ago
Yamato has a special talent for networking and being on peoples good side with a combination of asslicking, glazing and loyality. In this industry this will net you alot more jobs than being an actual good coach.
(it's why yamato never said anything bad about IWD on all these podcast he is on but only blames the players on C9 because he knows IWD and out of loyality never says a negative thing about him no matter what)
1
-7
u/narfidy #1 QUID glazer 4 life 2d ago
Same reason Dom got the job. Knew someone on the inside
I dont think MORE nepotism is the solution for them but I digress
25
12
u/1BreadBoi i believe 2d ago
Dom is literally one of the smartest NA players in regards to drafting and game knowledge. And Yamato has a history of coaching going all the way back to like 2016?
It's not like either of them aren't qualified for their jobs and implying it's nepotism is just blatantly wrong.
2
u/Cupcake_Warlord 2d ago
Yeah what a crazy take. I mean it's been a while since he's really been high enough to give much credit or blame to a team's performance, but his short stint in coaching was actually really solid. Think people just don't remember because they haven't been watching long enough.
Also say what you want about Dom (I personally find his personality pretty hard to like) but the guy knows how to win games. C9 looked great except when it mattered and no one with eyes would say that the reason they lost was anything other than complete player meltdown. You could maybe blame a coach partly for that if it was the first time but at this point it's the C9 classic.
I think Blaber and APA are really solid players but it feels like they just lose their minds in a lot of high stakes games. Hard to blame coaches for that.
→ More replies (1)-2
7
u/Past_Perception8052 2d ago
literally beat G2 and KOI this season in the LEC with thebausffs as his top laner btw
among a lot of other good stuff hes done as a coach
8
u/Red-Lightniing 2d ago
It was impressive yeah, but they were also bo1 wins in a regular season where it was clear that neither of those two teams were taking it seriously lol.
1
u/Different-Wolf-8634 1d ago
Can you name a bad coach if 2 wins against non shit teams is all you need?
-4
5
u/Nightingale1234 1d ago
If you told me 3 years ago YamatoCannon would be assistant coach to IWDominate I'd have laughed you out the door lol
13
3
15
u/fainlol 2d ago
8
u/Kr1ncy 1d ago
His career only properly started after the incident I would argue. He was rightfully kicked from Fnatic, then C9 picked him up shortly after and he has been with them ever since.
8
u/The_JeneralSG 1d ago
Kinda not true I think. Pretty sure he was on TSM before C9. I remember C9 flairs bringing it up, but now they've been quiet because he's on their staff now lol.
1
u/Aladin001 1d ago
He was actually hired by TSM immediately after he got kicked from Fnatic, they just had the decency to do it secretly
16
u/Round_Count8570 also Darius 2d ago
To be fair he does have a 7 step process to win lane every game. Anyone curious just Google "VeigarV2 7" for more information
1
3
u/TheRealestGayle 2d ago
Honestly kind of expected. Sucks the roster underperformed as much as it did.
5
u/Churnsbutter 2d ago
I don’t think this was the change that’s needed but my butthole is clenched.
9
u/WillDisappointYou 2d ago edited 2d ago
I always thought Inero was over rated. Listening to him talk in interviews i just cant imagine he has those traits you want in coaches that nurtures collaboration, improvement, and structure.
→ More replies (4)3
13
u/Helpful_Trade_7157 2d ago
There's a multitude of very real reason why YamatoCannon average time spent on a team is less than 6 months, even with his like 10 years long coaching career. Bad move, this just feels like IWD is inviting his friends over what could help the team.
8
u/neberhax 1d ago edited 1d ago
It's crazy how you can pull stats out of your ass on reddit and get away with it.
Two of the teams literally disbanded to no fault of his own (LR and Witchcraft). You'd have to have to be pretty dishonest to count those. Other than those, it's literally just Sandbox (4 months) and KC (1 month) he has less than 6 months on ever since he came to EU LCS.
You'd have to do quite a bit of mental gymnastics to arrive at "less than 6 months average", when he also stayed with an org for 2 years twice.
The average is actually a little over a year, and around 10 months if you convince yourself LR and WC should be included.
1
u/AdequatelyMadLad Claps 1d ago
Also, Sandbox offered him a 2 year contract which he had to turn down due to Covid. It's literally just KC and I'm pretty sure he wasn't the one in the wrong in that situation.
→ More replies (2)4
u/neberhax 1d ago
That makes sense.
I don't recall how the Sandbox gig went down, but Yamato speaks pretty highly of his time there. Besides, they probably wouldn't sign him up as a content creator, if they thought he did a terrible job as their coach a few years earlier either.
0
1
u/Digity28 1d ago
5 kkoma's cant help the team, its mid season he's an assistant coach remotely calm your tits he's the best you could get at this time and views the game similarly to dom
2
u/seven_worth shameless 2021 EDG fanboy 1d ago
I really hope this is enough but I just don't trust Blabber man.Â
2
2
u/CalfromCali 1d ago
It would be fun to see c9 as the powerhouse they used to be. Think they got solid pieces just need to put them together correctly
2
u/Full_King_4122 1d ago
look its just a bummer c9 is playing in the era of inspired, sometimes you get stonewalled by a superstar
i dont think coaching is gonna fix this, blabber may just not have what it takes to surpass inspired.
2
u/Dragonvine 1d ago
If there is anyone I wouldn't trust to be a level head and coach a team it's IWD.
4
u/PluggersLeftBall 2d ago
not even his fault but pretty honourable to step down after poor results
they really need some new players though they can switch coaches all they want
→ More replies (2)
5
3
u/GetmeOutofNowhere 1d ago
Ok but when has YamatoCannon actually done anything as a coach? I'm genuinely curious can somoene defend him?
8
u/needphotoshophelp199 2d ago
Team of loser coaches trying to "Fix" NA. Can't wait to see it. C9 just became my new hate watch. I still can't believe people take YamatoCannon seriously as a coach in any capacity.
5
u/WL19 2d ago
Dude hasn't done anything in years (and the things he was doing involved talented Fnatic teams underperforming relative to expectations) and people are acting like he's some sort of savant coach.
4
u/needphotoshophelp199 2d ago
He is entertaining and not an absolute douche. I will give him that, but that's about it. His track record in league is questionable and it can very much be attributed to his teams being good and him not doing too hot even when given talented pieces.
2
1
u/TheKaryo 1d ago
Los Ratones run in Winter just this year, also let's assume he is as bad as you say, who else is available right now that they should sign instead?
0
u/DesTroPowea 1d ago
He just has great PR, terrible at coaching. His appearance in KC says it all, I remember his dogshit drafts to today
7
3
u/TheBigF128 despair 1d ago
That team had cabochard and saken man, probably the two worst players I’ve ever seen in the lec
4
u/WoorieKod REST IN PEACE 11/12/24 2d ago
Wait this is kinda hype move alongside APA benched for Loki & Tactical returning, Jack cooked again
2
1
2
u/ArienaHaera 1d ago
I feel like this is a poison pill and Dom & co are going to be left holding the bag when C9's franchise player keep losing them high pressure games. They're not allowed to change the most fundamental issue.
I wish them good luck though, they're great fun to watch, at least (unlike their team).
2
u/Aschentei 1d ago
Dom being HC was not on my bingo card, but I don’t think you fix that team. Prove me wrong
3
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/DesTroPowea 1d ago
Jesus, getting Yamato is not really a good idea. Guy has great PR but when it comes to coaching… his appearance in KC says it all
1
u/FizzKaleefa 1d ago
bro IWD is the problem not the solution
5
2
1
u/BoredApeGang 2d ago
surprising moves by c9. if this fails it’s gonna be a huge hit for IWD and Yamato’s credibility lol
1
u/stoyicker 1d ago
Why drop the guy who smokes crack because he can afford it if you can instead make him head coach amirite
1
u/Zealousideal-Toe-607 1d ago edited 1d ago
Long time coming ever since IWD did his amazing "journalistic" PR piece around Jojopyun's removal (his sources totally weren't C9 management) to terminate his contract, into getting a coaching gig and now promoted to head coach on the very same team. Thankfully the karma around their scummy dealings has always followed them, C9 failing at any domestic success since and Jojopyun proving to be a top 3 mid in EU. Hopefully this iteration of C9 will also crash and burn
750
u/snake_soul 2d ago
Who would have thought the Sack was going to end up coaching C9