After around 18 months in charge, 2024 K League 1 Coach of the Year Yoon Jong-hwan has officially departed Gangwon FC, to be replaced by his Head Coach Jung Kyung-ho. In this article, Nathan Sartain looks back at Yoon’s time in charge, then forward to the foundations that have been set down for his successor going forward.
The Beginning: The Quest for the Right Style
When Yoon Jong-hwan was first appointed as Gangwon manager in June 2023, the club was in a rough patch. Starlet Yang Hyun-jun was set to leave, and the team itself only had two wins to its name after nearly half the year had already passed. So, to say the task at hand was tough would probably be an understatement. Nevertheless, Yoon appeared confident of steering the Bears to safety, embracing the idea of playing on the front-foot more often in his unveiling press conference too.
At first, these aims of a progressive styled seemed to be coming to fruition. In a 1-1 away draw with Suwon FC, Gangwon took 16 shots (their highest number at that point of the season), constantly pressed forward in search of a winner once pegged back, and remained steadfast in their attacking approach no matter how the opposition played. It really was a breath of fresh air, though very quickly it became clear that perhaps this tactical system was too much, too soon when comparing it to what had came before.
So, boosted by the addition of Marko Tući at the heart of defence, as well as target-man signings in Yago Cariello and Vitor Gabriel, Yoon Jong-hwan would begin to favour pragmatism. Suddenly, a low-scoring Gangwon aimed to stay competitive in their matches first and foremost, with the idea being to limit opposition chances to a minimum, and hurt teams on the break. It was very much similar to Choi Yong-soo’s tried-and-tested approach, though his typically high line was traded for a more noticeable structure.
Still, amidst all this learning, and a reasonably quick development of a firm understanding of how Gangwon should play when in a relegation battle, a win could not be found. In fact, despite the positives that were now taking shape, Yoon Jong-hwan failed to taste victory in any of his opening seven league matches with the Bears (five draws, two losses).
[READ: 2024 Season Review: Gangwon FC.]
The Firefighting Begins
However, when that elusive win did finally come, it arrived in dramatic fashion. In a season-best performance, Gangwon would beat Ulsan HD (then Ulsan Hyundai) 2-0 on home turf, their first triumph over the Horangi in over a decade, and one which saw the Bears record an xG of 3.14 from 19 shots despite them having less than 30% possession. Direct, confident, and defensively resolute, almost instantly survival looked a far more imminent prospect for the club, while Yoon Jong-hwan would rightly be praised for successfully coaching his squad into getting the better of the eventual league winners in every single way.
And, although for the most part Gangwon failed to build on that victory with any sustained momentum, an impressive enough 1-1 home draw with Pohang Steelers, soon followed by an excellent 3-1 away victory at Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, would again give fans enough reason to believe their team would be alright, even if there were still some negatives to note before Final B action got underway (namely a 2-1 home defeat to fellow relegation battlers Suwon FC).
The Firefighting Succeeds
When Final B did roll around, Yoon Jong-hwan would really start to show his potential. Following a 2-1 defeat away at FC Seoul, Gangwon would go unbeaten for their final four league fixtures (two draws, two wins), keeping a clean-sheet on three consecutive occasions to boot. Here, a 1-0 away win over Daejeon showed just how much potential was actually in this team, before a 2-0 victory against Suwon FC allowed for some of the Bears’ more clinical side to be shown. Then, a tactically excellent final day 0-0 draw against Suwon Samsung Bluewings sent their opposition into the second division, and put Gangwon into 10th-place, meaning a promotion/relegation playoff with Gimpo FC was to be their fate.
In the first leg, Yoon Jong-hwan would again look to pragmatism and structure for his answers, holding Gimpo to a 0-0 draw, ensuring primarily that Gangwon would avoid defeat to give them a distinct second-leg home advantage. And that sway was duly capitalised on, with the Bears matching the crowd in every way throughout a hardworking second-leg 2-1 win that ultimately maintained Gangwon’s top-flight status.
Still, this all couldn’t afford to be repeated in 2024, so changes had to be made.
A Successful Overhaul
Now, the true Yoon Jong-hwan started to be shown. With a completely freshened-up squad that saw additions such as Yang Min-hyuk, Lee Sang-heon, Lee Gi-hyuk, and Kim Yi-seok arrive during the winter window, Gangwon were ready to make a return to being ambitious, noting the top-half as their aim for the upcoming season.
Along with those goals for the new year came a revitalised tactical style, a 4-4-2 system that would give the Bears freer reign to push higher up the pitch, control attacking areas, and have more passing options available in transition. And, to maintain some sense of security in defensive phases of play, the shape would often shift to either a 5-4-1 (where Yu In-soo would drop into a LWB position, and Yun Suk-young would slot into CB), or a 4-5-1 (where Lee Sang-heon would move into midfield to press more aggressively from deeper).
It would work well too. Following a patchy start of good performances not necessarily leading to positive results, Gangwon would win three times in April, scoring 10 goals across those victories, and conceding just thrice. As mentioned here, a 4-1 win against Incheon United was a defined highlight in this run, with the Bears’ efficient outscoring of a 1.44 xG tally proof they had plenty of skill to back up their increase in confidence.
Smart Tweaks Lead to Strong Results
When push came to shove, Yoon Jong-hwan knew when to switch things up as well, and could never be accused of tactical stubbornness. After a 4-2 home defeat to Pohang Steelers illuminated the fact that at times Gangwon could be too open on the counter, which could be a major detriment when the team weren't as clinical as they could be, the defence was swiftly secured. Lee Gwang-yeon returned to the lineup as the starting goalkeeper, while the rest of the team would sit a little deeper to avoid getting caught pressing too aggressively.
Partly because of these adjustments, Gangwon would soon go on a six-match winning run, and refine their approach further to match their opponents. For example, a 1-0 win against Ulsan HD saw the Bears keep to a similar kind of structure seen in 2023, where every player knew their defensive responsibilities and stuck to them without much room for flexibility, whereas a 3-1 victory against Suwon FC saw the team given renewed license to play creatively in what was an outstanding counter-attacking performance.
Helping this all was of course the form of Hwang Mun-ki, Yang Min-hyuk, Lee Gi-hyuk, Kim Dae-woo and more, but Yoon Jong-hwan’s know-how still played a key part in the team earning the points they deserved.
Further Adaptations and a Record-High Finish
In due time, using the flexible approaches highlighted above, Gangwon would see themselves become realistic title contenders under Yoon Jong-hwan. For every buoyant, attack-driven 4-2 win against Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, there was a hardworking, efficient 2-1 victory against Gimcheon Sangmu, while most setbacks - chiefly a five-game winless run - were responded to with positive showings.
For Yoon Jong-hwan to build on that, he would actually take a bold step in this year’s Final A action: Switching back to defensive stylings. In all three of the Bears’ 1-0 home wins during the run-in, his team would operate in the same way, staying resolute defensively, then looking to set-pieces and counter-attacks for chance creation. It was a noticeable departure from the more progressive output seen earlier on in the year, but an astute one, as it ultimately led to victories against three clubs that Gangwon hadn’t beat on home turf during 2024, and against two teams they hadn’t beaten at all throughout the year.
So, thanks to all of the above, Yoon Jong-hwan led Gangwon to a record-breaking season. The Bears achieved their highest-ever finish (2nd), highest-ever points tally (64), highest-ever win tally (19), and more, while Yoon himself won the K League 1 Coach of the Year award.
What about Jung Kyung-ho?
Now, a new era begins. Jung Kyung-ho has been promoted from his head coach role and, as someone who is both from Gangwon, and played for the club during its debut season, arrives as manager with a personal connection too.
More importantly, however, he comes with a solid foundation having been set for him. For starters, under CEO Kim Byung-ji, Gangwon have become far more savvy in the transfer market, signing players from the second division ready to make a step-up, hidden gems at other top-flight teams ready to be unearthed, and young players with high-ceilings. It’s a sustainable model, and one that means Jung Kyung-ho already has a solid enough team at his disposal, and a strong structure behind him from the get-go.
Given he has also spent 18 months heavily involved in Gangwon’s upturn in fortunes, Jung will have learnt from Yoon Jong-hwan in plenty of ways. He will know the benefit to being tactically flexible, understand the best way to maximise each player’s potential and, interestingly, be well aware that sometimes it takes changing someone’s position on the pitch to help the team progress. Jung wasn’t hidden in the background of Gangwon’s 2024 either, he was often seen on the touchline helping give instructions, so it’s fair to say that he will come into this role with ideas already in his head, and a pre-baked knowledge of the squad’s ability.
Maybe then, just maybe, it’s worth getting slightly excited. Sure, Jung Kyung-ho is a step into the unknown, and how he handles the step-up from head coach to manager remains to be seen. But with Gangwon set to enter continental competition for the first time next year, and with a squad packed full of potential, this could be a risk that ends up paying off, particularly if a front-footed style is maintained.
