After coaching esports at Winthrop for nearly three years, Josh Sides announced his departure from the team in December, saying he was mentally and physically exhausted.
“It is a tough thing, to leave something you love, not because you want to, but because you need to,” Sides shared on Twitter. “The downside to all of this brings us to the truth of the matter. There are many reasons that have contributed to this decision, but the bottom line is I have unfortunately ignored my health and emotional wellbeing until I no longer can.”
Sides became Winthrop’s first esports head coach on April 16, 2019. Hired because of his impressive resume from coaching at St. Ambrose University in Iowa and experience with games like “League of Legends” and “Overwatch,” Sides was able to lead the esports program to great success, winning a Big South Championship, the Collegiate Esports National Championship and the League of Legends College Championship.
“I have given my heart and soul to this program and to my players,” Sides said via Twitter. “I have dedicated most of my waking moments in the past three years in the pursuit of excellence for them. And it was truly great.”
“Coach Sides was the glue that held the esports team together,” said senior mass communication major and esports team member Brock Cheung. “He not only provided a lot of players like myself with an excellent opportunity to earn a scholarship for video games, but he also provided everyone with a place to call home.”
Sides said he hopes that his decision will not rub people the wrong way and that he won’t be judged too harshly.
“I know that there are those out there who will look at this decision and think that I am being weak or selfish,” Sides’ Twitter post read. “I promise you it is the hardest thing I have ever had to do in my life and not a decision that has come lightly. I hope that I can have your support.”
With Sides’ departure, the university will look to find a replacement for him as soon as possible.
“The most important quality I hope for in a new coach is that he’ll put the players first,” Cheung said. “That was what Josh did best, and it’s the reason why we now have one of the best League of Legends teams in collegiate sports.”
Interim athletic director Chuck Rey will lead the search, but according to players, replacing Sides will be no easy task.
“Many directors and coaches in collegiate sports put the school first or make money first or something else,” Cheung said. “At my old university, they put sponsors first and the school over the players in the esports program. It was a miserable experience. So, the most important thing for this new director that steps in is always to put the players first.”
