The Yonsei University basketball team appointed acting head coach Yun Ho-jin as the new head coach this season. Coach Yoon is a person who has supported the Yonsei University basketball team in crisis by playing three roles as a manager, coach, and manager alone since coach Eun Hee-seok left for Samsung last year. The Yonsei University Sports Committee acknowledged his contributions and elevated him to official head coach, entrusting him with the responsibility of rebuilding the Yonsei University basketball team. I met him at the director’s office of Yonsei University’s basketball team in Sinchon, who is already struggling to recover his pride after taking the new baton.
This article has been added and adapted from the content published in the April 2023 issue of <Rookie>.
Basketball coach Yun Ho-jin, who was like a family business,
is a basketball family. It’s safe to say that it’s a family business because he’s been playing basketball for three generations. His grandfather, Yoon Hwan-seop, was a basketball player who played an active role as a forward at Korea University in the late 1940s and as a referee after his retirement. His father, Mr. Yunpyeong-no, is a person who served as an athlete and coach at the Bank of Korea. In a way, it was natural for coach Yoon to enter the path of a basketball player in such a family.
However, the road to becoming a basketball player was not easy for him, who was only 160 cm tall by the time he was in his second year of middle school. His father was also against his son entering the path of a basketball player, so he deliberately did not let him play basketball until middle school. But not wanting to do it even more. At that time, young Yun Ho-jin obtained applications for high schools with basketball teams, such as Daegyeong Commercial High School and Gwangshin Commercial High School, and threatened to go there and play basketball.
“I was always sitting in the 2nd or 3rd row from the front because I was short. But I really wanted to play basketball. Thinking about it now, it was absurd that my peers started in elementary school and started catching up in the 3rd year of middle school, but back then I had no idea. In a word, it was reckless.”
In the end, his father also gave up on both hands and feet at his insistence, and Yun Ho-jin entered the path of a basketball player. Since he started basketball late, he polished his basic skills by taking a grade for a year, but it was still true that he was lacking. But fortunately, there was a coach who recognized him, so he was able to be put in as a starting member.
“Anyway, my career was short, so I couldn’t beat the existing players and play the game. However, Coach Jeong Sang-il (former coach of Shinhan Bank), who coached Guro Middle School at the time, appointed me as a starting member and gave me a lot of experience. Get scolded. I was scolded a lot and beaten a lot, but I felt that they were for me even when I was young. It was safe to say that I learned and polished the basics at that time.”
“Then, after entering high school, I didn’t have the blessing of being a leader until my second year. I was hurt a lot at that time, but when I was in high school, the leader changed and I got another chance and gained a lot of game experience. At the same time, I became a youth representative.”
In 1998, during the presidency of the federation, he raised Dandaebugo to the quarterfinals and was honored to be selected for the 15th Asian Youth Men’s Basketball Team held in Kolkata, India that year. While doing this, he caught the attention of director Choi Hee-am at the time and entered Yonsei University.
Accumulating various experiences other than being a player
Even now, Yonsei University’s basketball team is the place where the best high school players in Korea envy. As a result, outstanding players from all over the country enter the school, and there is no choice but to have fierce competition within the team. It was the same with Yun Ho-jin. His motive for entering the regiment was also prominent members such as Kim Dong-woo (LG coach), Park Gwang-jae (movie actor), and Jeon Byeong-seok (former KBL referee).
But who would think of this at such a young age? He also came to the regiment while serving as an ace at the bugo of the corps, so he was confident that he could beat his classmates just by standing on the court. However, the reality was not so rosy. Following his classmates, Choi Seung-tae (KGC coach) and Bang Seong-yoon came in, and his position in the solidarity basketball team gradually diminished.
“When I think about it, it was a groundless confidence that I had because it was a time when I was full of blood. (Laughs) Among our players, the reason why I have special affection for Ahn Seong-woo is because I remembered myself in the past. At the time, I couldn’t give up my pride, but Seong-woo expressed his emotions. The difference is that I put it down and focus on the team.”
At the same time, he wandered for a while and even prepared to study in the United States at one time, but he returned to the basketball team at the recommendation of coach Kim Nam-ki, who took the baton. to the construction).
However, his career as a professional player was not smooth. After completing two years as a rookie, he returned from serving as a public service worker at Anyang City Hall, and the club offered him a job as a front desk, not a player. At the time, the player pool was full, such as Yang Hee-jong joining as a rookie, and he was a good condition presented by the club after seeing him meticulously handling work while serving in the public service, but he refused.
“After being discharged from the call, I was working hard on my body, but the club asked me how it would be to work as a public relations staff member. Thinking about it now, it was a very grateful proposal, but at the time I thought, ‘Why should I, as a player, have to play the front desk?’ I’m out of the team.”
Yun Ho-jin, who left the team, went on a backpacking trip to the United States for about two months and later started his own business. He started a franchise cafe selling coffee and bread in Bundang, and the profit was good enough to rank first in daily sales nationwide.
However, songchungi also has to eat pine needles. It was Kim Ho-gyeom, secretary-general of KT&G at the time, and coach Lee Sang-beom who brought him, who was walking well outside of basketball. Two people who saw his workmanship during his public service work took turns persuading him, and he also changed his mind and eventually returned to the team.
After returning again, he first started as a manager under coach Yoo Do-hoon, and after being replaced by coach Lee Sang-beom, he won KGC Ginseng Corporation’s first championship and advanced to the semifinals the following year. The KGC Ginseng Corporation club also wanted to accompany him for a long time, but he was the one who declined this time.
“After I won the championship and advanced to the semifinals, I left the manager. More than anything else, my age was the problem. Even though I was a manager, as I grew older, at some point I saw myself making younger players work. I thought that I was no longer qualified as a manager. I informed the club of my intention to resign and left the team.”
After politely expressing his intention to the club, he left the team again and turned his attention to the United States. When he was a student at Yonsei University, he memorized a small English booklet for over 10 hours on an airplane en route to an exchange match with Brigham Young University in Hawaii, and had conversations with the local coaching staff and players. Later, in order to study in the United States in earnest, the reason why I decided to go to the United States was that I had a little confidence in English and the United States, such as studying English at a library for the first time in my life, and getting a certain TOEFL score.
“I wanted to see basketball from a new perspective, different from when I was on the team. I also wanted to change the atmosphere and take on challenges with a new feeling. That’s when I chose to go to the US.”
Although he went to the United States after many twists and turns, the beginning there was not smooth either. Because he went with his married wife, he had to worry about making a living. He prepared for a restaurant business, but when it didn’t work out as he thought, he went through all sorts of hardships, such as running a food truck. Even in the midst of that, he tried not to forget his senses by watching local basketball and looking for domestic basketball videos as much as possible.
In the midst of this, he receives a phone call from fate. It was a call from director Eun Hee-seok.
Yonsei University basketball team’s comeback and coach promotion
While he was in Hawaii, Yonsei University’s basketball team appointed Eun Hee-seok as its new head coach. And Eun, who spent his time with SBS and KT&G, picked him as a coach and sent him a love call. However, coach Yun Ho-jin did not readily decide to join Yonsei University at first.
“I was in Hawaii for about 2 years and 6 months, and it was when the local life was established to some extent. Above all, I had to hesitate even more because my juniors (coach Jin Sang-won and Yang Jeong-joong) were coaching at the time.” 온라인바카라
Then, as coach Jin Sang-won moved to Mokpo University, the regimental coach position became vacant. Director Yun Ho-jin, who had rejected director Eun’s proposal several times, could not refuse anymore. It was in 2017 that he arranged his life in Hawaii after consulting with his wife and was appointed as a coach at Yonsei University.
“Looking back now, I have been a coach at Yonsei University for seven years, including last year. I can’t seem to forget it in my head. As the pictures were drawn accurately one by one, I felt how this school became a prestigious school, and I also realized that the emotions I felt when I was a player were different after becoming a leader.”
It was only natural for him to become a coach, having dedicated himself to the Yonsei University basketball team for seven years, including acting coach last season. As it is a prestigious university representing Korea and one of the best in the basketball world, many graduates were on the list, but the Yonsei University Sports Committee chose coach Ho-jin Yun. This is because he saw and acknowledged his contribution to leading the team alone without a coach for the past year more than anyone else.
“I was very happy when I heard the final result after submitting an application according to the rules and having an interview. Being the head coach of the basketball team at Yonsei University is a very honorable position, so I feel a sense of responsibility. To be honest, during my coaching career, I was blindly focused only on the coaching job. If I had been greedy, I don’t think I would have come this far.”
“I was doing my job as a coach, and then coach Eun Hee-seok suddenly took over as acting coach while playing for a professional team. Even then, I just wanted to do my job as a coach and take care of the players without thinking about anything else. He encouraged me and gave me a lot of advice. I think all of these things went round and round to come this far.”
“When I said I became a director, my wife and my father loved it. In fact, my mother was in her 70s a while ago, but I couldn’t even visit her. I’d like to see you again and have dinner with you.”
The Yonsei University basketball team started this season anew under the system of head coach Yun Ho-jin and coach Kim Yong-woo. Last year, coach Yoon selected good freshmen such as Lee Ju-young, Lee Chae-hyung, Kang Ji-hoon, Lee Hae-sol, and Hong Sang-min after working hard.
Members such as Yu-gi-sang, Lee Kyu-tae, Kim Bo-bae, and Ahn Seong-woo also prepared for the season in good health. Prior to the opening of the college league, they went to field training in the U.S. and refreshed the atmosphere. Even with two freshmen Lee Ju-yeong and Lee Chae-hyeong missing due to injuries, they are on a five-game winning streak since the opening of the league.
Although they are on the rise in the early stages, coach Yun Ho-jin is keeping his composure as much as possible. It’s a different move than the still-blooded Yonsei University players unconditionally shouting ‘winner’ and ‘winner’ in every interview.
“The winning streak and the regular match win against Korea University are all good stories, but we’re not at the stage where we’re already talking about those things. There are good freshmen, but two of them have already been injured, so we have to regroup again. Also, over the past year, We need to raise Kim Bo-bae and Lee Kyu-tae, who have been running, even more.”
“Right now, freshmen are having fun, but one day it will almost certainly hit a wall, and I think there will definitely be a crisis as a team. must bear.”
“If you do those things one by one, the Yonsei University basketball team will become a stronger team. I think that the proposition of winning the college league and winning the regular season will naturally be resolved. I will believe in the players and do it together.”
Brief Story
I couldn’t have come this far without my wife
Ho-jin Yoon met his current wife, Su-jeong Han, and got married while he was a manager at KGC Ginseng Corporation. It goes without saying that there is no woman who would look favorably on a man who had gone for over two hours on the pretext of club work at the place where she was meeting for the first time. However, director Yoon, who had bean pods in his eyes, continued to approach him, and when he helped his prospective wife in a car accident, it became an opportunity to start a relationship with him.
“After becoming a director, the thing I’m most grateful for is, of course, my parents, but I can’t leave out my wife. She watched and supported me throughout the whole process, from my manager days to the United States and back to Korea to teach at Yonsei University. My wife at the time of marriage ‘I have a clear eye for men, but my brother is not the kind of person who will end up as a manager. That’s why I liked him’ really gave me strength and made me feel a sense of responsibility. Whenever I’m having a hard time, I can think of my wife and comfort myself and scourge myself. there was.” These are the words of director Yun Ho-jin.
After he was promoted to head coach of Yonsei University, the person he liked the most was his wife, Han Su-jeong. As soon as she told the story, she cried and blew, but she said she was happy.
Manager Yoon said, “When I was a coach, I was told to come home right after work, but after becoming a manager, I was told not to come home and take care of the players. I am so grateful that I can focus only on the team without worrying about anything else. I think it was possible because I had a wife.” He did not forget to express his gratitude.