Excel Esports has Signed Youngbuck as their Head Coach

by Petar Vukobrat in League of Legends | Nov, 15th 2019

The London-based esports organization Excel Esports has signed Youngbuck as their head coach for the 2020 season. No, that wasn’t a typo. While this might seem like a strange alternate timeline, make no mistake: Excel is making huge moves to make sure they stand a chance at upsetting the status quo come Spring Split.

An Unexpected Move

Then again, it’s hard not to be surprised that they were able to sign a head coach of Youngbuck’s caliber. He is as accomplished and respected as humanly possible, and with six LEC trophies behind his belt, he’s also one of the most experienced coaches around. It’s impossible not to sing his praises whenever the opportunity presents itself. His storied career and many achievements speak for him, and it’s also pretty rare for an individual to find so much success over just a couple of years.

Once news broke out that he decided to part ways with Fnatic, many wondered where he would go next. It felt like a move over to North America made the most sense. In a way, he already “conquered” Europe. There’s nothing left to prove, so he might as well try to do the same across the Atlantic.

But for one reason or another, Youngbuck decided to sign with Excel Esports — the team that finished ninth in Spring and tenth in Summer. That’s about as big of a change as imaginable. He went from coaching two of the best teams Europe ever fostered, to coaching one of the worst (statistically speaking). Such a move doesn’t make a lot of sense, but Youngbuck rarely made bad decision throughout his career. Otherwise, he would’ve never reached this point in his career. While that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s going to find as much success with Excel as he did with Fnatic or G2 Esports before them, we’re still fairly confident that he’s well aware of the change he’s making and the dangers and risks that such a decision brings.

A Sign of the Things to Come?

The fact that Excel Esports has signed Youngbuck as their head coach also tells us a fairly simple fact: they’re willing to invest a lot more money into the LEC this time around. They are no longer content with finishing the season at the very bottom. That, in and of itself, is a positive thing overall, but signing such a solid coach is just the beginning. They need to continue making intelligent roster changes in order to stand a chance at reaching the very top of Europe.

The only question now is: will they still try to develop young, unaffirmed talent? Or, conversely, sign seasoned veterans and shoot for the playoffs and beyond. Regardless of what they ultimately decide, watching their next move will be an absolute must. With Youngbuck aboard, they’re probably going to announce a couple of unexpected, top-tier signings over the coming weeks.

The 2020 LEC Spring Split cannot come soon enough!