Evan ‘Warbirds’ Olzem is looking for a VALORANT coaching position for 2027 as his agreement with Rex Regum Qeon nears its end. In a September 19 announcement reported by VLR, he said he would consider either a head-coach or assistant-coach job and is willing to work in any region. The search follows two seasons in RRQ’s coaching setup. It is not yet an announcement that another club has hired him or that RRQ has named its future staff.
The distinction between a search and a completed move is especially important for coaching roles. A contract approaching expiry allows a coach to communicate availability while discussions about the current organization may still be ongoing. Warbirds has said what he wants to do next, but there is no verified destination. No successor at RRQ has been identified in this announcement, and there is no stated reason for his decision beyond the end of the current contract period. The facts support an off-season market story, not a settled staffing chart.
His previous assignments give the announcement substance. Warbirds spent two seasons as Team Secret’s head coach before moving into RRQ’s coaching booth for the following two. That is a meaningful range of responsibility: leading a staff and contributing as an assistant are different tasks, but his own statement leaves both open. He also said he is willing to relocate, so the geographic search is not confined to Southeast Asia. None of those choices tells us which organization will respond or what role it might offer.
What his RRQ and Secret record shows
At Team Secret, Warbirds worked through multiple regional campaigns and helped the team make repeated Pacific playoff appearances. VLR notes a second-place finish in the Pacific Last Chance Qualifier during that period. With RRQ, he worked alongside head coach Ewok as the organization reached its first international event and won its first VCT title in 2025. These are team achievements to which a coaching staff contributed, not individual trophies that can be assigned to one person alone. They help explain why his availability may attract attention without proving that a particular future job is secured.
A head coach would normally be responsible for the overall direction and decision-making of a team; an assistant may focus on practice, preparation and implementation. Warbirds has explicitly offered to consider both. That flexibility gives potential clubs two ways to assess his record. It also means readers should not assume that his next position, if one is agreed, must reproduce his RRQ title or his earlier Secret role. The relevant story today is his stated range of interest, supported by the chronology of where he has worked.
RRQ’s broader coaching situation is developing, but still not fixed. VLR reports that head coach Jovi has also been allowed to explore options. Two people looking elsewhere can create the possibility of a different staff next year. It does not by itself establish that every incumbent has already departed, that the organization has chosen a replacement, or that a specific tactical direction has been abandoned. Those claims would need direct confirmation from RRQ. Holding back on them keeps the story aligned with what the public announcements actually say.
The team’s competitive past and its off-season plans should also be kept separate. RRQ’s 2025 milestones show that Warbirds was part of a successful staff. They do not guarantee how a new team would perform with him, nor do they explain why an expiring agreement has not yet become an extension. Coaching changes are often judged with hindsight after a season begins. At this stage, the concrete next step is a conversation with interested organizations, followed by a formal appointment if a deal is reached.
The next checkpoint for RRQ and Warbirds
For Warbirds, the next verifiable development would be a club announcing a role and its terms. For RRQ, it would be a statement on who will guide the team into the 2027 season. Until one of those appears, the coach’s own message defines the available facts: his contract is close to its end; he wants to continue coaching; and he is open to head or assistant positions across regions. The news does not identify an offer, salary, destination or start date.
This framing matters because off-season speculation travels quickly when a recognized coach becomes available. The most useful information for a reader is not a guessed landing spot but the exact scope of the search. Warbirds has experience with Team Secret and RRQ, says he can work in either coaching capacity and would relocate. His next team remains an open question. Reporting the opportunity without inventing its outcome gives the eventual announcement room to supply the missing answer.
Warbirds is seeking a 2027 VALORANT coaching role as his RRQ contract nears expiry. His Team Secret and RRQ work explains the significance of the move, while his stated openness to both head and assistant jobs defines the search. No new appointment or completed departure has yet been confirmed.
