YNk steps down as FaZe Clan CSGO coach following NiKo’s exit

Janko ‘YNk’ Paunović has stepped down as the head coach of FaZe Clan’s CSGO team following the transfer of Nikola ‘NiKo’ Kovač to G2 Esports.

YNk cited issues within the team and wanted to step aside as FaZe will be looking to build up their lineup again, which still features highly-talented players even with the exit of their Bosnian star.

“For a while now the team has been struggling with some recurring issues in and out of the game which I’ve done my best to try and amend but unfortunately without much success,” YNk said. “I feel that the best way to move forward is for the team and myself to part ways and, with NiKo going to G2, give the players and the organization the opportunity to get a new coach and IGL who can work on taking the team forward.”

The former MiBR and FaZe coach also indicated that he’s going to break from coaching CSGO for the rest of 2020, and left the next year open-ended.

A player and broadcaster before his coaching career, YNk leaves the org in the same month his team beat OG Esports 3-0 in the EU Intel Extreme Masters New York Online grand finals. Last week, they placed 9th at the DreamHack Open Fall 2020.

YNk has been with the team since the beginning of 2019. While they managed to put good results together at various BLAST events and some online tourneys in 2020, FaZe struggled to put up consistent performances against top teams.

• Read more: Why NiKo isn’t the answer to G2’s CSGO crisis | Richard Lewis

YNk is stepping aside in a pivotal moment for FaZe Clan’s roster. Longtime face of the org’s CSGO team, Niko, has moved on from FaZe, and the coach will stand down to let them make something out of the stars still on roster like Marcelo ‘coldzera’ David, Håvard ‘rain’ Nygaard, Markus ‘Kjaerbye’ Kjærbye, and rising talent Helvijs ‘broky’ Saukants.

As more CSGO events and competitors continue to either migrate or revolve around EU, YNk could still have prospects in the competitive or broadcasting sides of the scene.

• Read more: flamie explains why Na’Vi have struggled during CSGO’s online era

Once a team with superstar players in every role, FaZe is now on the market to fill up their roster to standard capacity, as the latest shakeups leave them without a fifth member and a head coach to take the reigns.