In 2015, Lee "
Easyhoon" Ji-hoon shared the midlane for SKT T1 with the GOAT, Lee "
" Sang-hyeok. More than ten years later, Easyhoon returns to the organization as a coach, and he will now lead that same Faker alongside whom he won Worlds over a decade ago. Easyhoon heads back home after a year and a half in the LPL with
.
This arrival comes at a time when T1’s coaching staff needs reinforcement, having recently lost head coach Kim "
kkOma" Jeong-gyun, who requested a temporary leave of absence for personal reasons, which the organization accepted. The interim setup is currently being handled by Im "
Tom" Jae-hyeon, still supported by Cho "
Mata" Se-hyeong.
An Inconsistent Spring
So far, the six-time world champions are clearly not at their best. Their LCK Cup run was disappointing, ending in fourth place after a Lower Bracket Semifinals loss to
, though it was easy to think that it was only the LCK Cup and that they would bounce back. The reality is that through Rounds 1-2 of the
LCK, T1 sit sixth at 3-3 as Easyhoon joins the team.
T1 have fallen to
,
, and DK, with their only truly convincing win coming against Hanwha Life Esports. Their two other victories came against DN SOOPers and KRX, two teams well within reach of the reigning three-time world champions. In Week 4, T1 will have more manageable matches, facing HANJIN BRION on Saturday the 25th and BNK FEARX on Sunday the 26th.
The Return To The Den
Easyhoon is one of the players who left a lasting mark on the Summoner’s Cup. Now 33, he reunites with a coaching staff he has worked with before: Mata was his support during the 2013 OGN Club Masters at MVP, while Tom was his jungler during SKT T1’s 2015 Spring and Summer splits in the LCK.
After his time with SKT T1, he was part of the wave of Korean players who moved to the LPL, joining Vici Gaming, though without much competitive success. In 2019, he began his coaching career with Suning as an assistant, before later moving to Weibo Gaming, and eventually returning to T1 as an influencer.
A few months later, he left again to join BLG as an assistant to Fu "BigWei" Chien-Wei, helping the team reach the Worlds 2024 final and winning the LPL Summer 2025 title. This stint at T1 will therefore mark his first coaching experience in his home region, the LCK.
