OWL Head Coaches share spicy contenders for MVP and COTY

As the Overwatch League season reaches its climax, discussions around the prestigious MVP and Coach of the Year (COTY) awards are heating up.

The league's head coaches have been vocal about their picks, shedding light on players and fellow coaches who have left a significant mark this year. With a mix of agreement and disagreement, these insights offer a glimpse into the minds of those who shape the league.

A tight MVP race

"It’s undeniably [Lee "LIP" Jae-won]. I think it’s really obvious that he had such a big influence in the meta as an individual player," asserts Dallas Fuel Head Coach Yun "RUSH" Hee-won during an interview with GGRecon.

Sim "Mobydik" Seung-bo, Head Coach at the Boston Uprising also supports LIP's case, adding, "He has been playing very well continuously. Except for LIP, I cannot really think of any other candidates." Yet, there are critics of the decision of LIP as MVP, even saying that they don't feel he's even the best player on his own team.

Director of Competition for the Houston Outlaws, Choi "Junkbuck" Jae-won shared that he felt there were no clear favourites this year, though he did offer a different perspective: "I think [Jeong "Stalk3r" Hak-yong] deserves it more than LIP. When we played Atlanta during the Midseason, I think LIP played bad in our match. Stalk3r was the one that was carrying."

When asked about the relative qualities of the players on his team, LIP's own Head Coach at the Atlanta Reign, Blake "Gator" Scott, understood the point other coaches were raising, stating, "One's the best Tracer and one's the best Sombra in the world."

However, LIP isn't the only name in the conversation. Head Coach of the Florida Mayhem, Jordan "Gunba" Graham spoke highly of his tank player's leadership and dedication, "[Ham "SOMEONE" Jeong-wan] played on a team where he has to do a lot of the heavy lifting.

"In a lot of ways, he’s our leader and our most motivated player, the player who talks the most, and the player who sacrifices the most for the team. He’s the perfect player in my mind."

The best of them all

The debate for the Coach of the Year (COTY) is just as lively. RUSH said that he weighs the achievements of the teams most, arguing that "in the end, I would say Mayhem did well, but Atlanta did better. Getting first place regardless of having the resources or not is difficult. I would say Gator deserves it more than Gunba."

However, Gator expresses indifference and scepticism about the award: "I don't really care about the award at all because no one really knows what’s going on. The people voting have no f*****g clue what’s going on in these practice rooms."

He adds, "To be honest, I don’t want to win it because all it does is open a can of worms. I don't actually care." In contrast, Gunba confidently asserted his own claim for the award, "I think I should win.

"I think I deserve it,” emphasising the importance of resource management and playing with a limited budget. "I think coaching and making good use of your budget is integral" says the North American regular season runner-up and winner of the Pro-Am.

Mobydik agreed with Gunba's claim, providing insight into their strategic gameplay while adding, "Gunba deserves the title [...] When we scrim Florida Mayhem, they play very tricky. They are pretty annoying. For example, we won against Florida Mayhem today, but they always come out with different strategies in the next scrim."

With the differing opinions and compelling cases made by the head coaches, the Overwatch League Awards are set to be a closely watched and eagerly anticipated event.