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Don "Syyko", the head coach of Sentinels, has been removed from his position during VCT 2023, following a defeat against Leviatán in the VCT Americas League. The decision was made hours after the game, and Adam "kaplan" has been appointed as the new coach as the VALORANT tournament approaches its midpoint.
On April 17, Sentinels CEO Rob Moore took to Twitter to announce that the organization had made a tough call by parting ways with the previous coach and that Kaplan would be stepping in as his immediate replacement. He wrote:
"We have come to the difficult decision to part ways with Don @SyykoNT Muir. Adam @itskaplan Kaplan will be stepping in as head coach effective immediately."
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Sykko released from Sentinels after string of poor performance
Sykko's tenure as head coach for Sentinels wasn't particularly successful. Since joining the organization in October 2022, the team has only won two out of seven matches under his leadership.
As it stands, the current Sentinels roster has only won two out of their last 15 games, with a meager seven map wins out of 34 attempts.
Adding to their underperformance, there have also been some member-related controversies. Hunter "SicK" had to step out of the team after being arrested. Additionally, duelist Tyson "TenZ" is currently grappling with a wrist injury, which has added to their struggles.
Who is replacing Sykko?
Sykko's removal was met with a considerable amount of skepticism, with many questioning whether the change in coaching staff would bring about any meaningful improvement in the team's performance.
Former coach Shane "Rawkus" responded to these doubts by stating that Kaplan has a great understanding of the game and is capable of leading the team in the right direction.
"@itskaplan has an amazing brain for the game, ya'll are in great hands."
Kaplan had been working as an assistant coach for the organization since joining Sykko in 2022. Prior to that, he had been part of several VALORANT teams at a lower-tier level, with the most notable names including Ghost Gaming, Spacestation Gaming, and Ghostbusters.
What did fans say?
Sykko's sacking was met with a mixed response, with both positive and negative comments coming from fans and analysts alike. Some even suggested that the team's underperformance could be partly attributed to the absence of TenZ due to his injury. Here are some notable reactions:
Sentinels' journey in VCT 2023 is far from over, and the change in coaching staff could have a significant impact on their performance. It remains to be seen whether this decision will lead to an improvement in the team's overall gameplay in the long run.
The team is scheduled to play again on April 21, and it will be interesting to see how they perform under Kaplan's leadership
