Echo Fox’s head coach, Nick “Inero” Smith, confirms that he will be stepping down from his position and leaving the team. Inero would inform the fans of his decision on his Twitter:
I put in my two week’s notice with Echo Fox this week and won’t be on stage with the team this weekend. I’m really thankful for the times I’ve had with the players and staff that I’ve been able to work alongside for this past year
— Nick Smith (@inero) July 13, 2018
Additionally, Echo Fox will replace Inero with strategic coach Thomas “Thinkcard” Slotkin for the time being. Also, Inero mentions that “out of respect of the players”, he will not be joining another LCS team for the split. He also will be helping Thinkcard during his transition from strategic coach to head coach over the next two weeks. However, after those two weeks, he will be moving on from the team.
Also, on the Echo Fox Discord, he says that he is pursuing a private opportunity. However, via another tweet, he states that he does not rule out returning to the LCS stage:
My last day is July 26th and I’ll be open to any inquiries then. I’m looking forward to building my vision with a new team sometime in the near future ❤️
I’ll be available for contact via email any time at: [email protected]
— Nick Smith (@inero) July 13, 2018
The Future for Echo Fox without Inero
Echo Fox is currently in a four-way tie for first in the NA LCS. Coach Inero was a huge part of their early season triumphs. Smith was one of the most successful coaches to help his players adapt to the current meta. He would also give players plenty of freedom with their picks. He would also lead the new look Echo Fox team to a third place finish last split. It will be a bit hard for the players of Echo Fox to synergize with a new coach. Inero had such a big impact on their gameplay so far. Note that even though this will be a new coach, the principles should remain the same. You would have to imagine there’s a certain consistency in philosophy that’ll help keep things stable for EF.
Also, during Rift Rivals, Echo Fox seemed to struggle a bit against some of the top tier talent of the EU LCS. They would drop three of their five games, which lead to North America losing the grudge match against their rivals across the sea. Whether or not this will reflect onto the NA stage is far from seen, but it should not be a problem for the rest of the coaching staff on Echo Fox.
The Next Steps
Today, Echo Fox will be facing off against Counter Logic Gaming and Team Solo Mid. CLG is coming off of a disappointing week where they dropped a game against one of the worst teams in the league, FlyQuest. CLG still seems to have mid game and late game shotcalling issues that may prove troublesome later on. Team Solo Mid on the other hand is coming off of a dominant week three.
For Echo Fox, these two teams will be a good test of whether or not Inero’s training and style of coaching has had any affect on the players. Hopefully, Thinkcard can step up and fill in the big shoes of the former coach. This is also a battle for the top spot in the league. If Echo Fox can pull out a win against both of these teams, it will show their solidarity as a group, and also prove they are a force to be reckoned with this split.
What do you think about Inero stepping down as Echo Fox coach? Let us know you thoughts in the comments below! If you want more League of Legends content, check us out here!
