OpTic Gaming LA announce Pacman as CoD head coach with parody video
The OpTic Gaming Los Angeles Call of Duty League franchise have named former pro player and desk analyst Jonathan ‘Pacman’ Tucker as their new head coach for the 2020 season.
With the inaugural 2020 season of the newly-formed CDL set to kick off in just a couple of weeks, the 12 competing organizations are finalizing their rosters and support staff for what’s expected to be an ultra-competitive campaign.
OpTic Gaming LA is the latest team to put the finishing touches on their squad, announcing Pacman as their head coach on January 8.
“Thanks for all of the positivity from you guys, really appreciate it,” he tweeted. “Glad to work with such a talented team. Time to get to work.”
The retired pro player will take the reigns of one of the most star-studded rosters in the league, with the starting lineup combining for 28 major tournament wins and three world championships.
OPTIC GAMING 2020 ROSTER
- Thomas ‘TJHaLy’ Haly
- Dashy ‘Brandon’ Otell
- Kenny ‘Kenny’ Williams
- Austin ‘Slasher’ Liddicoat
- Jordan ‘JKap’ Kaplan
- Martin ‘Chino’ Chino (sub)
- Jevon ‘Goonjar’ Gooljar-Lim (sub)
- Jonathan ‘Pacman’ Tucker (coach)
A veteran in the Call of Duty scene, join us in welcoming @PacmanJT to the #OGLA squad as our Head Coach! pic.twitter.com/JFCsI6Jmk8
— OpTic Gaming™ (@OpTicGaming) January 8, 2020
OpTic Gaming’s hilarious parody announcement video
OpTic’s announcement of their new head coach came via a hilarious parody video, which featured general manager Eric ‘Muddawg’ Sanders and players Kenny, SlasheR, and JKap discussing who their new head coach should be before they end up calling Pacman.
Slight but hilarious references were made to several of the more-gripping headlines from the CoD offseason, such as the controversy surrounding ex-Dallas Empire sub Charlie ‘MuTeX’ Saouma, and the harsh comments made by former OpTic star Ian ‘Crimsix’ Porter about the Green Wall’s difficult 2019 season.
Even JKap found himself on the receiving end of some roasting from Muddawg, who said “we have all these amazing pieces, minus you of course” as he pointed to the two-time world champion.
Pacman – from pro to analyst to head coach
Pacman has been one of the longest-standing and most recognizable figures in Call of Duty esports after first breaking onto the scene with Team FeaR, and winning the MLG National Championship in 2008.
However, he never found too much success as a player after that, bouncing from team to team and never staying with one for longer than a year except for when he played for Rise Nation from 2014-15.
He retired in 2017 after a very short stint with G2 Esports, transitioning to a manager role with Rise Nation. In 2018, at the start of the Black Ops 4 season, he became a full-time desk analyst for Activision, covering the CWL’s Pro League and major tournaments.
Keep up with all of this offseason’s roster moves and player signings with our dedicated Call of Duty League RosterMania hub.