Kaplan on reinventing himself after Sentinels: "M80 felt like a fresh start"

Talking about Adam "kaplan" Kaplan's career without mentioning Sentinels is difficult, as he helped lead one of the most popular rosters in the world. However, 2026 brought a major change as he moved to M80, a new challenge that changed the way Kaplan approached coaching.

In a conversation with THESPIKE during the VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 - Americas Stage 2 Media Day, the head coach discussed the move to Tier 2 and how the experience made him fall in love with VALORANT again. He also spoke about the team's expectations, the M80 roster and its strengths, and his desire to become a better coach every day.

Why Kaplan doesn't see M80 as a downgrade

For many fans, moving from such a popular Tier 1 team like Sentinels to a Tier 2 organization might seem like a downgrade in Kaplan's career, but he never felt like he was joining a less ambitious project.

I never had any reservations about stepping down from Tier 1. As long as I was coaching a good team with good people, a good mix of personalities, and everyone wanted to win, I knew I would love the work and be happy doing it regardless of the circumstances.

For the head coach, his three years in Tier 1 were an intense period of his career that made him question what he truly wanted to pursue moving forward.

Mentally and personally, after three years in Tier 1 and a pretty intense exit, I needed some time to think about what I wanted. M80 were interested in working together, but I even had to ask for an extra week. I rented a van, took my dog, and went camping for a week. It was awesome that they were patient with me. Obviously, I came back from that thinking, 'There's nothing better in the world than coaching.' I was ready to keep going.

M80 has what It takes to compete in the VCT Americas

THESPIKE: At what point did you realize this M80 team could actually compete with VCT teams?

Kaplan: "It was pretty much instant. I knew from scrims right away that we had a good group, although our first match was a bit bumpy. Our only loss in Challengers came the following week, but after that, seeing how we worked in scrims and how we performed in matches, I quickly realized how good this team was.

It was actually frustrating and bittersweet for me because I felt like this team deserved to be there. I thought, 'If I was there with them right now, we would do well.' That was really my only gripe, being bummed that we weren't there. But here we are. We made it."

THESPIKE: Which M80 player has surprised you the most?

Kaplan: "Obviously, I knew what to expect from Marki "NiSMO" Tayar. I've worked with him forever, but his firepower has impressively blown me away at 32. He was the highest-rated player in Stage 3 of Challengers.

With Mirel "Kyu" Braco Hrustemovic, I always knew he had that potential in him, and we just had to develop it. Mark "Boni" Bonifacio frags really hard, and I already knew that, so even though he's insane, that was less of a surprise.

With Adam "Spaz" Laamoumi, I knew he could frag really hard, but I was really impressed by his experience, his vibe, and his teamwork. His ability to play for the team is insane. Alvin "Alvinboy" Hong is really clutch, too. He came up big when we needed someone to, and it was cool to see that we had that kind of player on the team."

How Sentinels shaped Kaplan as a coach

THESPIKE: What was the biggest lesson you brought from Sentinels to M80?

I was on a lot of different rosters at Sentinels, but in a way, there was the same core for most of my time there. We got to do things our way for a long time. I think some of my shortcomings at Sentinels came from not being ready for the team's identity to change drastically when new players came in. Having worked with so many different players at Sentinels, joining M80 felt like a fresh start.

However, it wasn't just the players who had the opportunity to challenge themselves and try something outside the box. Joining M80 also gave Kaplan the chance to reinvent himself as a coach, look beyond everything he had experienced, and embrace a new approach. It was time to introduce a new Kaplan to VALORANT.

It had been years since I'd had such a fresh start where everyone was willing to challenge each other's beliefs about the game and try new things. I know there's some of my DNA as a coach in this team, but I really tried to embrace thinking outside the box and breaking my own patterns. I'm grateful I had a team willing to challenge me on things. That's probably one of the biggest lessons I learned, and I made sure to apply it this time around.

The beginning of a new chapter

For Kaplan, there are several crucial differences between coaching in Tier 1 and Tier 2 that made a significant impact when he arrived.

THESPIKE: What are the biggest differences between coaching a VCT roster like Sentinels and coaching a Tier 2 team like M80?

Kaplan: "I think the biggest one is the amount of stuff that sits on top of you when you coach or play for a team like Sentinels. When there's such a big fanbase and history, there's so much expectation, and with expectation comes pressure.

I really enjoyed that kind of challenge, and that's what comes with being at the top. But it's super intense, and I don't think there are many teams in the world that deal with that. There are teams with huge fanbases like Fnatic, Paper Rex, and Sentinels, but it's a pretty big jump after that. I think it's a lot to manage.

I don't think esports has developed to a point where there's enough support for players to manage that pressure as well as they deserve to. It's been nice to be on a team where I think we can control the pressure and narrative more internally because there's not as much outside noise competing with it."

THESPIKE: Do you think you're a better coach now than you were six months ago?

I'd like to think I'm a better coach with every day that goes by because I learn every day. That's the best part about this job. There are never-ending lessons and skills to improve, but I'd be lying if I said there wasn't a lot on top of coaching at Sentinels. That's just the nature of being there, and I'm equipped to handle it. I've learned to do that, and I'm happy to do it again if I'm on a team with high pressure, a large fanbase, and a lot of general management responsibilities that fall on the coach.

The pressure that came with the expectations made Kaplan question whether he still loved the game, ultimately weighing him down. After years of operating in that environment, he realized he needed a change of pace to reconnect with the part of coaching that had drawn him to the game in the first place.

But there was so much of that on such a high-profile team that, after being exposed to that type of coaching for so long, I think my pure love for the game became a little tainted. I started to question how much longer I wanted to do this and whether I still loved the game the way I used to.

And that is why a change was so important for his career, giving Kaplan a fresh start and a new opportunity to rediscover himself and his coaching style.

Being somewhere where everything feels fresh and new, with less outside noise, has allowed me to focus on the team and the game, like the good old days. I really fell back in love with the game and realized, 'Oh, I absolutely love this. I don't want to stop doing it anytime soon.' I think that realization has made me a better coach. I've improved more as a coach in the last six months than I had in a long time because of it.

VCT Americas 2026 Stage 2 Play-Ins

The VCT Americas 2026 Stage 2 Play-Ins stage goes from August 13 to August 23. Only four teams will advance to the Playoffs, where they will battle for a place at VALORANT Champions 2026, which is set to take place in Shanghai, China.

For all things VCT-related, make sure to stay tuned to THESPIKE.GG as we continue to update you with the freshest game and esports news.

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