Kkoma

Five-time world champion and ten-time LCK champion known for strict coaching and developing rookies.

Kim Jeong-gyun (Korean: 김정균; born December 23, 1985), better known as kkOma, is a South Korean professional League of Legends coach currently serving as head coach for T1. He holds the record as a five-time world champion, two-time Mid-Season Invitational champion, and ten-time LCK champion. Widely considered the greatest coach in League of Legends history, he was named the winner of the "Esports Coach of the Decade" prize at the Esports Awards 2025. Known for his strict coaching attitude and aptitude for developing talented rookies, kkOma also reached World Championship finals in 2017 and 2021. Before coaching, he competed as "LittleBoy" in StarCraft II for Team Old Generations and played one season of League of Legends as a jungler for Startale.

Quick Facts

Name trans: Kim Jeong-gyun
Born: 23 December 1985
Nationality: South Korean
Game: League of Legends
Career role: Jungler
Coach start: 2012–2021, 2023

Lore & Background

kkOma's journey began with a short professional playing career, first competing in StarCraft II under the ID "LittleBoy" for Team Old Generations. After failing to qualify for the Global StarCraft II League, he transitioned to League of Legends, spending one season as a jungler for Startale in the LCK. His coaching legacy truly ignited in 2012 when SKT T1 appointed him to prepare for Season 3. He personally recruited Faker, Bengi, Piglet, Impact, and PoohManDu to form the original squad that would dominate the scene. A defining tactical innovation occurred in 2015, where he became among the first coaches to successfully implement two players equally sharing the mid lane position, rotating between Faker and Easyhoon. This allowed SKT T1 to adopt diverse play styles depending on who was swapped in. He led the team to sweep the calendar year by winning LCK Spring 2015, LCK Summer 2015, and the 2015 World Championship, becoming the first coach to win more than one World Championships.

Reader's Guide

kkOma's strategic impact is defined by specific milestones and roster management. He built the original SKT T1 lineup in 2012, leading them to Champions Summer 2013 and the 2013 World Championship. His innovation with the dual mid-lane strategy in 2015 remains a historical turning point for the franchise. Beyond his club career, he served as the head coach for Korea's League of Legends team at the Asian Games 2022 in March 2022. In his personal life, he announced his marriage in late 2019 and has two children. A unique distinction in the game belongs to him: he is the only coach who owns a ward skin in League of Legends, known as SKT T1 kkOma Ward. His career spans from a failed StarCraft II qualification attempt to becoming the first head coach to win multiple World Championships, eventually earning the "Esports Coach of the Decade" title.