After spending the last year of his career in South Korea, a veteran League of Legends head coach is reportedly making his return stateside to rejoin the LCS with 100 Thieves.
Kwangdong Freecs coach Jang “Cain” Nu-ri has been linked to the popular North American organization, according to esports journalist Brieuc Seeger. This would also be his first appearance back in the region since his time with Team Liquid between 2017 and 2020.
After his departure from the LCS, the 36-year-old took a season off from the pro scene before joining Afreeca Freecs in 2021 during the organization’s final split before rebranding. He ultimately failed to produce any memorable results with the two different rosters he helped build, with back-to-back early exits from the playoffs and a seventh-place finish in the 2022 LCK Summer Split.
Cain is much more known for his work with Liquid and the wonder roster that featured names like Doublelift, Impact, Xmithie, CoreJJ, and Jensen. That supercharged lineup ended up being one of the strongest we’ve seen in recent NA memory as they surged forward to win two LCS championships and a finals appearance at the 2019 Mid-Season Invitational.
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The 2020 season represented Cain’s final hurrah with Liquid after roster and visa issues prevented them from building any long-lasting synergy or strengths as a unit. The lineup finished in ninth place during the Spring Split and he was eventually moved to a different position as former caster Joshua “Jatt” Leesman replaced him as head coach for the 2020 Summer Split.
Cain will reportedly be joining a 100 Thieves squad that is still reeling after the departure of its starting mid laner, Bjergsen. The veteran retired from esports earlier this month after a disappointing 2023 Spring Split, leaving a sizable hole in the team’s game plan for this coming summer that will need fixing as the offseason pushes ahead.
Seeger reports that 100 Thieves is looking at South Korean free agents and players from the region as possible replacements in the mid lane, but nothing is set in stone just yet.
