Sources: NIP target djL as new CSGO coach
Luc Bouchon/PGLFormer GamerLegion and Copenhagen Flames coach Daniel ‘djL’ Narancic is the favorite to take charge of NIP’s CS:GO team, sources have told Dexerto.
DjL has been earmarked as the ideal candidate to replace Björn ‘THREAT’ Pers, who transitioned to a technical role within the NIP organization at the end of 2021.
THREAT, NIP’s head coach for four years across two stints between 2016 and 2021, didn’t attend the final event of the 2021 season, the BLAST Premier World Final, where the organization’s COO, Jonas Gundersen, stood behind the players.
That event also saw academy AWPer Love ‘phzy’ Smidebrant replace star player Nicolai ‘dev1ce’ Reedtz, who was still recovering from an unspecified illness that had also seen him sit out the team’s last match at IEM Winter.
Jonas Gundersen, NIP’s COO, has since confirmed the report on Twitter.
“It’s true,” he wrote. “DjL is joining our coaching staff. Just wait for the announcement and the full picture will be given. We are all still on player break.”
It's true @djLCSGO is joining our coaching staff. Just wait for the announcement, and the full picture will be given – we are all still on player break 🤟🥷 https://t.co/BMAD7wkLYk
— Jonas Gundersen (@jonasgundersen) January 8, 2022
On NIP, djL will reunite with NIP’s in-game leader, Hampus ‘hampus’ Poser, whom he coached during his time in charge of Red Reserve and GamerLegion in 2017 and 2019, respectively. The pair also briefly played together under GamerLegion’s banner.
DjL, whose playing career also included spells on teams like Red Reserve, Epsilon and Chaos, coached Copenhagen Flames in 2021 before their surprise run at IEM Fall and at PGL Major Stockholm.
Since July, he has been the assistant coach of Apeks, who signed Tim ‘nawwk’ Jonasson from NIP in December as part of their offseason rebuild.