TSM’s Head Coach Kim “SSONG” Sang-soo Reportedly Replaced by Ham “Lustboy” Jang-sik
According to a report by esports media outlet esportsheaven, it seems that Kim “SSONG” Sang-soo will no longer be TSM’s head coach. In his place, the team’s former support and current secondary coach, Ham “Lustboy” Jang-sik, will take over until further notice.
Confirmation from League of Legends Esports Contract Database
We cross-checked this report with the official League of Legends esports contract database. It appears that Ssong is no longer listed under the TSM roster.
TSM’s Struggles and the Need for Change
This change may not come as a surprise considering TSM’s recent performance. They missed the split finals last season for the first time in 11 splits. They even failed to reach the semifinals after being eliminated in the first round by Clutch Gaming. Unfortunately, this split doesn’t look any better for them. While they started with a 2-0 record in the first week, they didn’t win a single game in the second week, including their matches against Clutch and Team Liquid’s Doublelift.
TSM is a championship team, and when things get desperate, championship teams make big changes to turn things around. The NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers did it halfway through the 2017-2018 season by overhauling their roster and ended up making it to the finals. TSM hopes that this coaching shift will have the same effect for them.
A Promising Roster That Can’t Find Consistency
This change seems to be the right move. TSM’s roster is filled with top-tier talent. From top laner Kevin “Hauntzer” Yarnell, mid laner Søren “Bjergsen” Bjerg, to bot lane duo Alfonso “Mithy” Aguirre Rodríguez and Jesper “Zven” Svenningsen, all of them have been some of the best players in their respective regions for their roles. Even their second jungler, Jonathan “Grig” Armao, has been performing better than his predecessor. Yet, the team can’t seem to find the right formula for success.
It’s apparent that the team lacks cohesion. They still have the same issues they displayed at Worlds and MSI last year, including a passive playstyle, lack of aggression, and a lack of confidence in-game. All of these problems, combined with the fact that these players should excel in their fields, suggest that the issue lies with player management rather than mechanical skills or strategy. A coaching change seems to be the right solution.
Upcoming Game against Cloud9
TSM’s next game is against Cloud9 on Saturday, June 30th at 4pm CT. It’s worth noting that both teams have been struggling this year.
TSM, head coach, Kim “SSONG” Sang-soo, Ham “Lustboy” Jang-sik, League of Legends, esports, coaching shift, roster, championship team, player management, Cloud9