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Veteran basketball coach Yoo Do-hoon returns to Anyang with fresh mindset

Published: 01 Oct. 2025, 13:55 Updated: 01 Oct. 2025, 21:17

Anyang Jung Kwan Jang Red Boosters head coach Yoo Do-hoon speaks during a KBL media day event at Blue Square in central Seoul on Sept. 29. [NEWS1]

ANYANG, Gyeonggi — Veteran basketball head coach Yoo Do-hoon is back on familiar hardwood, older and wiser as he looks to finish what he started nearly two decades ago.

The 58-year-old coach returns to the KBL sidelines this season with the Anyang Jung Kwan Jang Red Boosters, the team where he first began his head coaching career in 2006. After a two-year break from coaching, Yoo is rejoining a struggling squad with a fresh mindset.

Yoo first took the helm of the Anyang KT&G Kits, now called the Red Boosters, in 2006, leading the team to the second round of playoffs in the 2007-08 season.

“Coming back to a team that feels like home, I’ve prepared for the new season with the mindset of a rookie head coach,” Yoo said. “I’m itching to shake things up in the 2025–26 season.”

Born in 1967, Yoo is now the oldest head coach in the KBL. He brings a decorated track record, having taken his teams to the playoffs in 13 of 16 seasons with the Red Boosters and Incheon Electroland Elephants, now called Daegu Kogas Pegasus.

His reputation as a perennial playoff contender stood in contrast to the Red Boosters' recent struggles. The team finished ninth on the 10-team table in the 2023–24 season.

In the 2024–25 season, the squad hovered near the bottom of the standings before sneaking into the playoffs in sixth place. The team then exited in the first round after three straight losses to Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus.

“We have a young squad with unlimited potential,” Yoo said. “I want to instill a gritty, resilient style of basketball that can survive any scenario and rebuild the team into a contender.”

Anyang Jung Kwan Jang Red Boosters head coach Yoo Do-hoon [ANYANG JUNG KWAN JANG RED BOOSTERS]

One of Yoo’s top priorities has been building relationships with his players, many of whom are more than 30 years younger than him.

“I didn’t want to come off as an old-fashioned coach just because I’m older,” he said. “I’ve been watching my weight, taking care of my skin, and asking my daughter to teach me Millennial to Gen Z Generation slang.”

He has also changed his coaching style. Once known as a strict disciplinarian — even earning the nickname “tiger” for his intensity in practices and games — Yoo said he now emphasizes communication over confrontation.

“There was a time when players followed orders without question. That doesn’t work anymore,” he said. “Now, you have to persuade them with strategies that make sense for the team’s situation. In short, I’ve replaced shouting with dialogue to create one unified team.”

Despite his long coaching career, Yoo has never won a championship. His best finish was a runner-up result with the Electroland Elephants in the 2018–19 season.

“Winning a title is the biggest reason I came back,” he said. “I’ll push forward with my players toward my final dream. With my experience and their energy, we’ll fight until the end against any opponent.”

The Red Boosters will start the 2025-26 season with their first game against the Goyang Sono Skygunners in Anyang, Gyeonggi on Saturday.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY PIH JU-YOUNG [[email protected]]