Coach Yeb on Shaping ONIC Indonesia Into the Team it is Today

The Pinoy coach worked hard to turn ONIC into the winningest team in Indonesia.

It would be an understatement to say that ONIC Esports owe their M5 spot to coach Paul “Yeb” Miranda. The former analyst had a lot on his plate when took on the role of head coach. It’s one thing to play for a foreign team, but it’s something completely different when you’re coaching them.

To start, it wasn’t just the language barrier that coach Yeb had to contend with but also the culture that they had developed. “Kung sa tingin ko effective yung ways ko, eh di babaguhin ko unit-unti, pero hindi madali yun,” says the coach. “Pwede matapakan yung ego nila, at ano pang bagay.”

Fortunately, most of ONIC was already on board with his vision for the team. “Di ko alam kung bakit pero may tiwala na sila sa akin nung una,” said coach Yeb. Perhaps it has to do with how his earlier stint with ONIC as an analyst already endeared him to the team. Still, coach Yeb had to be slow and careful with his process of developing the team.

“Hindi ko naman pwedeng tapakan yung ibang coaches para lang sabihin ko na tama to.”

Coach Yeb on Shaping ONIC Indonesia into the Team it is Today — ONIC Esports. From left to right: Calvin “CW” Winata, Nicky “Kiboy” Pontonuwu, Kairi Reyosdelsol, Gilang “SANZ”, and Muhammad “Butsss” Sanubari. (Photo credit: Moonton Games)

And what coach Yeb thinks is right, what he wants to instill in his players is “kung kaya, kailangan maging humble kami.” He knows that beyond the success, his team is in a position to influence other teams and players. “Kung pwede kami maka inspire ng ibang tao, mas maganda.”

A warm welcome from Filipino fans

One of the things that really stood out for coach Yeb in M5 was the ONIC fans in the Philippines. “Nakakagulat yung mga fans. Sobra yung support nila, ang grabe.” This may sound surprising, considering that coach Yeb and Jungler Kairi Reyosdelsol are the team’s star Pinoy imports.

This is due to coach Yeb having an altered perception of the fans due to previous online hate. “Yung mga sinasabi nila doon, na ibabash kami sa event o kung ano man, parang inexpect ko na,” coach Yeb admits. “Nung nakita ko na wala naman at mas grabe yung support ng tao, sobrang nakakatuwa na madami din ang nagsusuporta sa amin.”