Three-time Worlds-winning coach Kim ‘kkOma’ Jeong-gyun has been announced as DAMWON Gaming’s new head coach for the 2021 LCK season, following the team’s dominant display at Worlds this year. The move will also see the departure of Lee ‘Zefa’ Jae-min and Yang ‘Daeny’ Dae-in to rivals T1.
kkOma spent the 2020 season with Chinese team Vici Gaming, finding little success in his time there. Vici ended the LPL Spring Split with a 7-9 record, barely scraping a mid-table finish. The team would continue to struggle throughout the Summer, finding itself in a lowly 11th place after going 8-8.
kkOma’s departure from Vici was not performance related, however, with the coach making the decision to step down in order to return to his family back home in South Korea. Vici’s farewell statement cites this, while also giving kkOma a glowing reference.
DAMWON has clearly not been deterred by kkOma’s performances while in China, referencing the 13 trophies kkOma has to his name in its announcement message.
안녕하세요. 2021년, 김정균 감독님과 담원게이밍이 함께 갑니다. 김정균 감독님에 대한 힘찬 응원과 앞으로도 담원게이밍에게 많은 기대 부탁드립니다. 감사합니다. pic.twitter.com/ty7bnA88yW
— DWG_Official (@DamwonGaming) November 13, 2020
Prior to his time at Vici, kkOma spent seven years with T1 (then SKT). In his time with the organisation, kkOma won everything the esport had to offer, including eight LCK Splits, two MSI trophies, and three World Championships. Indeed, no other team in LoL’s history has been as dominant as kkOma’s SKT.
Although DAMWON’s decision to part ways with head coach Zefa and assistant coach Daeny may seem odd considering the org’s overwhelming success this year, it is clear that the dynasty it is trying to build will remain in safe hands.
