In their inaugural season in the NA LCS, the Golden Guardians struggled mightily, ending both the Spring and Summer Split in last place. Moving into the 2019 season, the organization is now making the moves to ensure that this isn't the case next year.

The Golden Guardians announced recently that they have hired both a new GM and coach to lead the organization in the future.

Nick "Inero" Smith will now fill the role of head coach for the Golden Guardians. Inero most notably coached Echo Fox for the majority of the 2018 season and led the team to second place in the regular season of the Spring Split which later included an appearance at Rift Rivals. After leaving Echo Fox midway through the Summer Split, Inero served as a consultant for the Golden Guardians. As a coach, Inero is known for his creative drafts which have previously resulted in such picks as Renekton into Aatrox, a matchup that will surely work out one day.

As for the role of general manager, Danan Flander will become the organization's first-ever GM and will overlook the day-to-day tasks that come with running the entire staff. Per usual with GM duties, he will also be responsible for putting together the team's roster and engaging in contract discussions with players. Flander has previously filled the role of senior GM at Cloud9 where he helped manage the organization's 16 different teams.

Hunter Leigh, the head of esports for GSW Esports, commented on the hiring of both Inero and Flander with the following:

“We’re excited to begin building our team for next season, starting with the hiring of these two proven esports professionals. We are confident that the leadership and guidance of Danan will be a game-changer for our culture, starting with the addition of Inero as our head coach.”

The struggles of the Golden Guardians both on and off the Rift have been well-documented over the past year. By adding two veterans to their organization in Inero and Flander, the team looks to have the stabilization needed to turn things around.