(Photo by Ingrid Muhlenbrock/Riot Games from Worlds 2022)
Update: Pad has left Mad Lions after their Worlds run ended.
Original article:
Danish League of Legends coach Patrick ‘Pad’ Suckow-Breum (pictured left) has been named interim head coach for Mad Lions at Worlds 2023.
He will step up in Korea, as Mad Lions’ usual British head coach (James ‘Mac’ MacCormack, pictured right) will instead support the team remotely from the UK.
Mac revealed today that he will not be flying out to Korea for the World Championship, as he and his wife are expecting their baby daughter to be born in early November.
It’s a big move for Pad, who previously worked as a coach in the UK and Ireland League of Legends esports scene for teams like MNM Gaming and Phelan Gaming back in 2019 and 2020 before moving to Mad Lions.
Two years ago, Pad said the transition from UK LoL to major international tournaments like MSI was ‘mind-blowing’.
‘It takes a village to raise a child, and I can think of no better place than Mad Lions to start a family’ – Mac
Mac said on social media platform X: “I’d like to express my gratitude to all of the staff and players at Mad for their support and understanding in the lead up to this decision, and in particular to [OverActive Media CEO and co-founder] Adam Adamou, who encouraged me to prioritise this special time with my family over work.
“I’m truly blessed to work where I do and be surrounded by the people that I am – it takes a village to raise a child, and I can think of no better place than Mad Lions to start a family. I can’t wait for our little lion to meet her uncles and aunts.”
Mac, the usual head coach for Mad Lions, added in the above video: “I won’t be attending Worlds this year, owing to the fact that my wife and I are expecting a beautiful baby daughter to arrive around November 6th.
“So the team and I decided I wouldn’t be going this year, obviously it’s a hard decision and not one we took lightly. Owing to the fact the baby can come before the due date and there could always be complications, being [at Worlds] is a risk I didn’t want to take, and that’s probably for the best.
“I will be supporting the team remotely as best I can, and in my place Pad will be on stage as the acting head coach. The rest of our coaching staff will be stepping up to cover my absence.”
Mac also sent a video message to the Mad Lions League of Legends team in the clip above, and a separate vid to Pad, saying he’s ‘incredibly proud’ of the coach Pad has become, and how confident he is in Pad’s ability to do a ‘marvellous job’.
‘Expect a very in-your-face Mad Lions at Worlds 2023’ – Pad, interim head coach for Mad Lions
Pad said: “I have been focused on prepping for Worlds, I’m super excited to do Mac and Mad Lions proud at Worlds as interim head coach.”
Pad added to Mac in the video below: “Hey Mac, we miss you too and hope everything is well with you, and we hope the birth goes smoothly.”
Pad also spoke more about the decision, saying: “This doesn’t change much for Mad Lions and the way that we play or the way that I coach, but I’ll bring a bit of my own energy into the team. We’ve been doing that at the bootcamp.
“The facilities we have here are the best I’ve had at an international event so far, the preparation time, allowing us to get used to the patch, has been amazing.
“I can confidently say you’re gonna say a very bombastic and in-your-face Mad Lions at Worlds this year.”
Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He graduated from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in Multi-Media Journalism in 2007.
As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation up until February 2021, when he stepped back to work full-time on Esports News UK and offer esports consultancy and freelance services. Note: Dom still produces the British Esports newsletter on a freelance basis, so our coverage of British Esports is always kept simple – usually just covering the occasional press release – because of this conflict of interest.
