There is a high possibility that the change of head coaches of KBO League teams in 2024 will not be significant. Usually, the change of coaches for teams that have been eliminated from the postseason should have been decided by now. The fact that no special news has been heard yet means that the teams have decided to re-trust next year.
Lotte manager Kim Tae-hyung and Hanwha manager Kim Kyung-moon are expected to have higher expectations on their performance next year. There is little talk about the position of Kiwoom manager Hong Won-ki, who fought with insufficient power in the first place. Doosan manager Lee Seung-yeop and SSG manager Lee Sung-yong are also likely to complete their entire contract period. KT manager Lee Kang-chul’s position seems solid, and the prevailing view is that the three coaches (Lee Bum-ho, Park Jin-man and Yeom Kyung-yeop) who remain in the post season have made achievements and that even if they become the main characters of tragedy in the post season, they are unlikely to be replaced.
Only one team, NC, is concentrating on welcoming its new coach. When NC failed to advance to the post season, it immediately notified Kang In-kwon of its decision to dismiss the coach. Kang In-kwon is said to have made his own contribution by leading NC to the playoffs last year. However, the team’s performance has deteriorated this year, and the overall management of the team has not been smooth with the front desk. In the end, NC has also decided to prepare for 2025 under the new head coach system to reform the team’s mood.
However, news about the new coach has rarely been heard. It was on Sept. 20 that Kang In-kwon was dismissed. It has been almost a month now. For now, we have a basic direction for the next coach, but it seems that it will take some time to find a coach who will follow that direction.
Lim Sun-nam, NC’s general manager, said at a press conference on September 20, “The club aims to make it a strong team that can continue to produce results in the future. We think it is our idea to reduce our dependence on FA and secure sustainability through fostering. I hope it’s someone who agrees with this philosophy and makes it together,” and added, “I don’t want the club to decide on its direction and the coach to follow me, and I want to decline it. On the contrary, it is difficult for the coach to lead without communication. I hope he is someone who can make it with us through a lot of discussions with the front desk.”
However, he strongly denied the rumor that there is a nominee. At the time on Tuesday, Lim said, “Nothing has been decided yet. I didn’t think it was right to meet or talk with the next presidential candidate. There is no progress in that regard. We have to look for a new coach candidate from now on.” If so, it means that we have found a new coach candidate for about 20 days, but we have yet to make a decision. 먹튀검증
Naturally, it can lead to the next speculation. It means that the NC managerial candidate is still on Kia, Samsung, and LG, which are still playing the postseason. Rather than necessarily having a nominee on this team, a managerial candidate could be between these teams. As NC said, without a nominee in the first place, the club would weigh several candidates. Profiles and usual reputations are important, but you need to meet them in person and listen to them and examine their visions. Usually, two to three people are selected as finalists, but there may be leaders among the three teams who are qualified as finalists.
However, baseball circles view that interviewing or contacting the leader of a team that is in the midst of a postseason is against their will. This is why some observers say that NC has selected a candidate list and is waiting for the end of the postseason for the team concerned. For NC to proceed with its closing camp normally, it would be better to start cleanly under the new coach system. Another issue of NC’s upcoming October schedule is when NC will decide on a new coach.
