Dallas Fuel Adds Two New Coaches After a Disappointing Overwatch League Season
Dallas Fuel has signed Justin ‘Jayne’ Conroy and Louis ‘Tikatee’ Lebel-Wong as assistant coaches for their Overwatch League team.
Jayne is a prominent Overwatch streamer who focuses on analytical content and the coach for Team Canada for the Overwatch World Cup. Tikatee previously worked as an assistant coach under current Dallas head coach Aaron ‘Aero’ Atkins when both were with FNRGFE.
Aero himself joined the team for Stage 4 of the inaugural season of the Overwatch League. The team had been in crisis earlier in the season, but with Aero at the helm the Fuel ended on a high note, reaching the Stage 4 playoffs.
Dallas Fuel now looks to expand its coaching staff ahead of Season Two of the league. Aero said of the new additions:
“As we continue to build our confidence among the players on our roster and look to capitalize on our dynamic end-of-season success, Jayne and Tikatee will be tremendous help in rounding out the skills and focus needed on our coaching staff. We look forward to the both of them joining us in Los Angeles. Both bring a remarkable aptitude for quickly analyzing gameplay and leave no stone unturned in breaking down footage and helping us create a culture and philosophy that will help our players improve and assist the team in reaching its goals.”
The first order of business for the coaching staff, alongside general manager Mat ‘TazMo’ Taylor, will be to begin assembling the Dallas roster for season two. From August 1, existing teams will have until September 8 to extend contracts with current players and make trades with other teams, after which any players whose contracts weren’t extended will become free agents.
Teams with Contenders squads – of which Dallas is one – may also sign players from their Contenders rosters to their Overwatch League squads during this time.
Other free agents will only be available to existing franchises after an exclusive signing window for expansion teams from September 9-October 7. Consequently, current teams – particularly those that underwhelmed in Season One, such as Dallas – will have to think carefully about which players they hold onto and who they try to secure via trade, as most of the top free agents are likely to be signed to new teams.