Here’s a bit of unexpected (but ultimately positive) news: former LEC top laner Danny “Dan Dan” Le Comte has reportedly signed with 100 Thieves as a positional coach! The reason why this is so surprising is that Dan Dan, while undeniably talented, is far from a household name. And, well, he’s no top lane behemoth, either.

His ERL career was fairly successful, with one EU Masters trophy and multiple top finishes in the LFL, but he’s by no means a seasoned veteran with a breadth of experience. You’d think that 100 Thieves would go for someone like Paul “sOAZ” Boyer instead of a player who, in all fairness, hasn’t experienced the pressure that comes with playing on the biggest of stages.

Then again, some of the best coaches in League of Legends never left much of a mark during their formative/playing years, so it’s not like that’s a prerequisite. We’re glad beyond measure that Dan Dan was able to land a job at 100 Thieves — the defending LCS champions, no less!

100 Thieves will now have Aleš “Freeze” Kněžínek, Alfonso “mithy” Aguirre Rodríguez, and Dan Dan all under one roof. Quite a stacked ensemble, all things considered, with one of the best head coaches of all-time leading the charge!

With Dan Dan aboard, 100 Thieves have done basically everything they could to set Milan “Tenacity” Oleksij up for success. He has a positional coach that’ll help him grow and evolve, he won’t be expected to carry any time soon and, perhaps best of all, he can learn from his more seasoned colleague Kim “Ssumday” Chan-ho.

This, of course, doesn’t guarantee that Tenacity will deliver upon stepping foot on the LCS stage, but he’ll at least have a shot. 100 Thieves have obviously recognized his potential and are doing everything in their power to realize and harness it — in due time, of course. This process cannot be sped up (even though many have tried), which is why it’s so commendable to see them take it slow and move one step at a time.

The LCS will return to action on January 14.