T1 Takes a Decisive Step with Coach Tom
In recent days, the transfer saga surrounding Zeus and Doran has garnered significant attention from the community. According to various sources, Zeus’s management company allegedly “played dirty,” leading the player to not re-sign with T1. In an effort to regain fans’ trust, T1’s official website recently confirmed that Coach Tom will continue with the team after re-signing his contract.
Moreover, Coach Tom’s new contract with T1 will be long-term, aiming to continue their pursuit of titles in the future. This move reaffirms T1’s strength in the transfer market, demonstrating their capability to retain their key personnel. Furthermore, keeping Coach Tom indicates T1’s significant ambitions for the upcoming season as they strive for more championships.
T1 Almost Lost Coach Tom to HLE
It’s important to note that just before announcing Coach Tom’s contract, many T1 fans faced “bad news.” Reports from the FmKorea forum revealed that HLE was very eager to acquire this coach and was ready to offer an incredibly lucrative deal. In fact, the amount HLE proposed could reach 1 billion won per year (about 17 billion VND), a rare compensation for a coach in the LCK region.
Previously, T1’s Coach Roach had to part ways with the team as he needed to fulfill military obligations next year. If T1 had lost Coach Tom as well, the team would have faced numerous challenges in preparing for the upcoming 2025 season. Fortunately, they made the decisive move to retain their key coach just in time, preventing a rival (HLE) from strengthening rapidly.
On T1’s side, this decisive move has somewhat restored fans’ affection following the recent controversy surrounding Zeus. Even with Roach’s departure not long ago, Tom and KkOma remain experienced coaches capable of leading T1 in the near future. If Doran performs well and thrives after joining T1, the team can certainly aim for competing in the LCK titles and possibly even at MSI and the Worlds next year.