Olleh returned to the LCS this year after serving in mandatory military service. With that much time spent away from the competitive scene, Olleh said his first split back would be different from how he can approach the game in Summer. \u201cI came back in Spring and focused on my own job,\u201d he said. \u201cIt’s like, as a support, what should I do better? But now I have room to do what I can for my team. If they are not doing their job, I can do their job and jump in to help them.\u201d<\/p>
With the team meshing well and everyone’s roles more solidified, a final piece to the puzzle still needed to be added. In came Inero, a no-nonsense coach whose main objective is getting the League roster <\/em>on the same page and playing as a unit. On Inero, Olleh explained that he had already gone about helping the team. \u201cThe most impressive thing about Nick is he has really taught us how to talk to each other. I actually think at some point he is like our psychologist,” he laughed. “When our players have a weird conversation or are scared, he stops them and just tries to help them approach the conversation.\u201d<\/p>
Having a coach who clearly understands how he wants his team to play and will enforce that style on his players has pros and cons. This type of coaching can be risky because professional players can often be stuck in their ways and find it difficult to adapt to a new style. It’s much easier to remove a coach than remove five players after poor performances.<\/p>
So far, it seems Immortals have taken well to Ineros\u2019 coaching style and look poised to challenge North America’s top league in a big way. \u201cHe has a really clear direction of how we have to play, and how we have to draft. So, for example, today, I said, ‘I can play this champion, I can play that champion, and Nick just said, ‘Olleh, you are gonna play Nautilus,’ so I was like okay I am going to shut the fuck up [laughs],\u201d Olleh said.<\/p>
Although they have won one BO3, and many bottom teams have been dubbed “scrim gods” in the past, this is the first time in a few years there has been so much positivity around the Immortals organization from a player and management perspective.<\/p>
It will take a while for the IMT fanbase to genuinely believe they have a shot at competing for the top honors. While the org finished in last place again in the 2024 Spring Split, it’s now correcting course and has drastically improved infrastructure to the point where even the number one team’s coach is sitting up and taking notice.<\/p>
