With the departure of long time member, Tony “Zikz” Gray, Counter Logic Gaming (CLG) was in need of a new head coach. It now seems like they have their replacement in Weldon “Weldon” Green.
"My vision for CLG is to focus on retaking the title."
We are thrilled to announce @MindGamesWeldon as the new LCS head coach!
Watch: https://t.co/VUYk4GEQ9U
Full Announcement: https://t.co/JJWcjnuZi1 pic.twitter.com/YJiYUEjAEo— CLG (@clgaming) November 1, 2018
This is sort of a homecoming for Weldon, who would start his professional esports career with CLG back in 2015. “For me, CLG always belonged at the top. My goal for CLG is to first and foremost retake the title. I think this is the primary goal, one step and one foot in front of the other. I’m excited to be here at CLG and just want to let our fans know: the faithful shall be rewarded.” Also, this is a new step for Weldon, as he has never been the head coach for a team before.
Weldon’s Pedigree
Weldon’s reputation precedes himself, as many people know of his talents behind the scenes. He would become well-known as the performance coach and psychology trainer on 2016’s Team Solo Mid. Due to his efforts, TSM would be able to bounce back from a second place finish in the spring, to a championship in the summer of that year. Many of Team Solo Mid’s players speak highly of Weldon’s effect on the team morale and overall mental and physical healthiness.
Afterward, he would move to the EU LCS, where he would be the assistant coach of G2 Esports from the beginning of 2018. Although G2 Esports would not win either of the splits, they would go on to win the Regional Gauntlet and even reach the semifinals of this year’s World Championship. Again, Weldon’s ability was on display, helping players with their problems on and off the Summoner’s Rift. He also uses breathing exercises and yoga-like relaxation to help calm the nerves of his players.
CLG fans rejoice!
Weldon would then help TSM once more in this past Summer Split, before deciding to join with CLG for 2019 and beyond. Many of the fans are excited to see what Weldon can do, as his effect on rosters are almost palpable. For example, many TSM fans are worrying about the performance of their team, due to Weldon’s influence. Matt ‘Trinitiii” Nausha, the director of esports at CLG, would have this to say about Weldon:
I could not be more excited to have Weldon as the Head Coach of the LCS team. Not only does he come with a wealth of experience, he is very aligned with the vision and direction for CLG. A new chapter for our LCS team has begun and there is a lot of work to do. Weldon has already started working on our off season efforts and planning for 2019. I appreciate him and his family for making the commitment to relocate from Finland.
It is a big step for Weldon, but a great one for the future of Counter Logic Gaming.
CLG’s Losing Ways
CLG has been struggling for some time now, ever since their 2016 Spring Split championship. They just haven’t been playing to the standard they would create for themselves, and were never a top three team since. Note that CLG had been committing to the same roster since 2016. The team would only change up the lineup this year, first by losing veteran support Zaqueri “aphromoo” Black and bringing in former TSM support, Vincent “Biofrost” Wang. Additionally, the team would continuously swap junglers, settling for former star Kim “Reignover” Yeu-jin for 2018.
Unfortunately, this year would be the worst year in the organization’s history. In the spring, CLG would finish in seventh place, with a 7-11 record. They would commit to the same roster, and unsurprisingly, they would yield the exact same results in the summer. CLG would finish with the same record, 7-11, but finish in eighth place behind OpTic Gaming. It was a disappointing moment to be a CLG fan. However, the management clearly had a wakeup call, as drastic changes are in the making.
Changes?
There may be many more changes in store for Counter Logic Gaming, whether it be on the coaching staff or in the roster. It would not surprise anyone if the lineup goes through an overhaul, as this lineup hasn’t brought any success. We may even say good bye to more long time members of the team, like Darshan “Darshan” Upadhyaya and Choi “huhi” Jae-hyun. However, Huhi has just become a North American resident, so he is an important piece to have. Biofrost and ADC Trevor “Stixxay” Hayes were bright spots for CLG last season, and is a duo that can be built around. Whatever CLG decides to do, we hope the faith will one day be rewarded again.
What are your thoughts on Weldon joining CLG? Let us know what you think in the comments below! If you want more NA LCS coverage, check us out here!
