View source for News/"kakafu" to Leave BIG

{{News
|seo_title="kakafu" to Leave BIG
|seo_keywords=BIG
|image=Big1).png
|tags=BIG
|date=2025-03-18T12:15:53.000Z
|sources={{NewsSource
|source=Hltv
|url=https://www.hltv.org/news/41224/kakafu-relieved-of-coaching-duties-at-big
|article=News/&#34;kakafu&#34; to Leave BIG
}}
|author=Andura
|category=Business
|content=[[Companies/BIG|BIG]] has announced that Alexander "[[People/kakafu|kakafu]]" Szymanczyk's tenure as the team's coach has come to an end, with Sebastian "xenn" Hoch stepping in as the interim coach. Xenn, who joined BIG as an assistant coach in January, will now take over the role on a temporary basis.

"I was sad that I didn't get more time with the new roster," kakafu told HLTV in a statement. "BIG will always be a part of me, and I wish everybody the best moving forward."

Kakafu, an Austrian coach, took over from Fatih "gob b" Dayik in May 2024, following a promotion from his previous assistant role. Under his guidance, the team managed to stabilize after a challenging period, marking BIG’s return to a German-speaking roster. However, despite these efforts, the team has struggled to break into the top 10 or secure playoff spots at Big Events, a performance plateau that ultimately led to kakafu’s departure.

'''More:'''[[News/Fearless Draft to Stay|Fearless Draft to Stay]]

This was kakafu’s second stint as BIG’s coach, having previously held the role from 2017 to 2018. During that time, the team reached the playoffs of the PGL Krakow Major, albeit with some controversy surrounding a jump bug incident.

As the new interim coach, xenn comes in with experience, having secured invitations for BIG to compete at IEM Melbourne and PGL Astana. Additionally, BIG is nearly guaranteed a spot in the upcoming Major Regional Qualifiers, currently sitting 20th in the Valve Global Standings.
}}