Simon "Baguette" Cordonnier is set to join SK Gaming in the LEC as an assistant coach, sources told Sheep Esports on Sunday. The 24-year-old French coach will join the staff of Head Coach David "OWN3R" Rodriguez de la Torre, who was extended for the 2026 season, as previously reported by Sheep Esports.

SK Gaming is thus continuing to build its roster for the 2026 season. After confirming its head coach, the German organization will also retain its jungler, Duncan "Skeanz" Marquet, who showed promising performances in the four BO3s he played during the Summer Split upon his return to the LEC. Locking in the coaching staff is therefore a logical move, allowing them to build a roster consistent with their vision of the game.

From LFL Div 2 to LEC

At only 24 years old, Baguette will begin his fourth year of coaching with SK Gaming. The young French coach started his career with Akroma before joining Lionscreed in the NLC as head coach, where he won the Spring Split and qualified for the EMEA Masters. He later returned to France, joining the LFL side GameWard as assistant coach to Benjamin "Fara" Stoffel, while also coaching GameWard Astrals during the Coupe des Étoiles.

In 2025, he moved down to the French Division 2 to continue gaining experience as a head coach, joining Team Valiant. The team went on to win the Spring Split before transferring its slot to Caldya Esport, which retained the same roster and coaching staff and finished fourth in the Summer Split. In terms of championship points, the team ended the year with 330—just five behind Project Conquerors and far behind Esprit Shonen, the two teams that ultimately competed in the promotion tournament that Caldya narrowly missed.

Straight into the LEC, 2026 will be Baguette's real full-time position in esports after finishing his studies. During the offseason, he was also considered by Ici Japon Corp in the LFL.

SK is rebuilding

By retaining OWN3R and Skeanz, adding Baguette, and reportedly leaving Berlin to centralize its operations in Cologne—where the organization already has facilities—SK Gaming is making major decisions ahead of 2026 to avoid repeating this year’s failures. With five roster changes throughout 2025, two ninth-place finishes in Winter and Spring, and a last-place finish in Group B during the Summer Split, the year was clearly far from satisfactory for SK Gaming.

SK Gaming's reported 2026 Winter split roster:

For more roster changes, check out our Transfers Hub and Offseason Live Tracker.