RSG Philippines head coach Brian “Panda” Lim is one of the most respected coaches in the MPL scene, known for his strict approach to handling players.
However, he admits that he still hasn’t found the right approach to managing assistant coaches under his wing.
He had Karl “Giee” Barrientos as his assistant in Seasons 9 to 10, then took on John “Theo” Eusebio – now with MPL ID side EVOS Glory – for Seasons 11-12.
“I don’t know how to really work with assistant coaches so far. I had Coach G before and Coach Theo. I really didn’t know how to utilize them effectively. I just had them help me with things they could easily do,” Panda admitted.
Entering Season 13, RSG Philippines welcomed Cebuano coach Ivan Dale “Dalyot” Hipulan, who had previously been offered the head coach position at RSG Singapore.
“Right now, I’m still training him, helping him try to see the game the same way I do. Once he does that, he will be able to contribute more aspects to me in ways that I cannot. We’re still building chemistry,” Panda said of Dalyot.
Dalyot, a first-timer in the MPL Philippines, is currently assigned to be the main drafter of the team. He also analyzes game plays in other regions and provides suggestions to Panda on strategies they can integrate into their gameplay to make it more solid.
“I focus more on analyzing, then I’ll share it with Coach Panda. We’ll discuss if it can be useful for the team. Some findings from my personal research have already been applied to our games,” said Dalyot.
He is relishing every moment of his stint with RSG, especially working with his mentor, Coach Panda.
“I love working with Coach Panda. He always tells me straight to the point if my suggestions are good for the team or not,” he said.
“He’s really strict but in a good way. You should have discipline like pag gising nang maaga. How to control the players. You have to have a strong attitude for you to be able to lead the team,” continued Dalyot.
“Si Coach Panda talaga sobrang straight to the point siya towards me so far and I like it also.”
Despite the struggles, Panda hopes that his leadership and firmness will help his assistant coaches become full-fledged head coaches in the future.
“I envision that my assistant coach will be the head coach when I finish my job here at RSG. That’s what I always aim for.”
