After Team Liquid’s ninth-place finish in the League of Legends Championship Series Spring Split, the team has decided to bring in now former LCS caster Joshua ‘Jatt’ Leesman as their new head coach.
Jatt is a veteran Riot Games shoutcaster and host for the Riot-produced JLXP Podcast, where he shared his disbelief on Liquid’s performance shortly after their LCS Spring results.
Leesman said he thought the “team is in trouble right now” while discussing their finish, but now he’ll have a chance to turn things around as the squad’s newest coach.
He’s already changed his handle! Go follow @TL_Jatt
— Team Liquid Honda LoL (@TeamLiquidLoL) May 4, 2020
On Monday, May 4 Liquid announced that Jatt had signed a three-year deal to become the new head coach, replacing Jang “Cain” Nu-ri, who will stay on with the team as an assistant coach.
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According to the Washington Post, Jatt’s road to coaching Team Liquid started all the way back in 2017 after some conversations with Liquid Co-CEO and Owner Steve Arhancet.
“We decided, we need to identify someone that embodies these types of characteristics and meshes well with the current strengths of the team that we do have,” Arhancet said, referring to Liquid’s disappointing Spring Split finish.
Arhancet added he was impressed by Leesman’s approach to coaching, that Liquid hopes will be able to bring out the best in their veteran players.
“It’s less dictating and more creating the right type of methodology for the right kind of information to bubble to the top through a good process,” Arhancet explained to WP. “Jatt’s got a good style in that regard. [He] is also extremely articulate and thoughtful in what he says. And I think that will allow for good postgame conversations and discussions on strategy and how we want to play.”
As Jatt attempts to turn around the fortunes of Team Liquid, he’ll have to do so without the help of Yiliang ‘Doublelift’ Peng, who is now with TSM after what some think was a controversial trade was approved by the League.