A Head Coach's Turnover

A Head Coach's Turnover
Promotional poster
Hangul
맹감독의 악플러
Lit.Coach Maeng's Troll
RRMaenggamdogui akpeulleo
MRMaenggamdogŭi akp'ŭllŏ
GenreSports comedy
Written byKim Dam
Directed byHyun Sol-ip
Starring
Country of originSouth Korea
Original languageKorean
Production
Executive producerJeon Yong-ju[1]
ProducerJeong Gu-yeong[1]
Running time63–64 minutes
Production companyiWill Media
Original release
NetworkMBC TV
ReleaseMay 23 (2025-05-23) –
May 24, 2025 (2025-05-24)

A Head Coach's Turnover (Korean: 맹감독의 악플러) is a 2025 South Korean sports comedy television series written by Kim Dam, directed by Hyun Sol-ip, and starring Park Sung-woong and Park Soo-oh. The series follows a struggling pro-basketball coach who teams up with his own online troll to improve the team. It premiered on MBC TV on May 23, and ended on May 24, 2025, at 22:00 (KST).

Synopsis

Due to subpar team performance, Maeng Gong, a professional basketball coach, is in danger of being fired. Reluctantly, he joins forces with his devoted online troll, Go Hwa-jin, a senior in high school, in an attempt to save his team. They work together to overcome unforeseen obstacles on and off the court, resulting in a number of amusing and surprising scenarios. The two gain fresh insights on cooperation, competition, and personal development as their unlikely alliance grows.

Cast and characters

Main

Head coach of the pro basketball team Big Pandas. Once a star player, he now struggles as his team underperforms and his job is at risk.
A high school senior and Gong's main online troll who has deep basketball knowledge and strong resentment toward him.

Supporting

Big Pandas players

  • Kwon Ju-seok as Kang Woo-seung[2]
Big Pandas' point guard who is known for his skill but often makes critical mistakes in games, earning the nickname "chicken heart".
  • Kim Taek as Park Jun-hyeok[2]
Big Pandas' forward who despite being a rookie, he is a key player, but tension arises over his role and playing time.
  • Oh Hyun-joong as Kim Min-woo[2]
Big Pandas' guard who doesn't get much court time, he is praised for his tenacity, defense, and commitment.
  • Kang Hee-gu as Yoo Jin-gi[2]
Big Pandas' forward who may not be a starter, but he boosts team morale and contributes strongly off the bench.
  • Moon Su-in as Choi Jung-hyeop[2]
Big Pandas' forward who is quiet and serious. He is facing personal and career challenges.
  • Dale Anthony Samuels as Chess[2]
A foreign player from Birmingham, England, who plays forward and started the season as the league's top scorer but struggles with declining performance and homesickness.

Big Pandas coaching staff

  • Son Sang-gyu as Coach Bae[2]
Gong's trusted assistant coach who helps to mediate conflicts within the team.
Former teammate of Gong, now serves as the team's manager who offers support and political insight.

Hwa-jin's family

  • Cha Bin as Go Woo-jin[2]
Hwa-jin's older brother.

Staff of another team

  • Lee Nam-hee as Director Lee[2]
Executive director of the rival team who prioritize pleasing the parent company over the team's performance.
A player-turned-coach who was popular as the best shooter during his active days and Gong's rival.

Production and release

In February 2025, both Park Sung-woong and Park Sang-hoon[note 1] were confirmed to star in the series. Scheduled to air in the first of 2025, it is written by Kim Dam and directed by Hyun Sol-ip. Notably, the script won the Grand Prize at the 2024 MBC Drama Script Contest where it was praised for its "strong character dynamics and dialogue".[4] The drama is produced by iWill Media and was developed under the planning supervision of Kang Dae-seon.[5] It aired on May 23 and 24, 2025, at 22:00 (KST) as part of MBC's two-episode Friday–Saturday drama lineup and also available for streaming on Wavve and TVING in South Korea, and Kocowa in selected territories.[6][7][8]

Ratings

Average TV viewership ratings (Nationwide)
Ep. Original broadcast date Average audience share
(Nielsen Korea)[9]
1 May 23, 2025 0.9% (51st)
2 May 24, 2025 1.6% (28th)
Average 1.3%
  • In the table above, the blue numbers represent the lowest ratings and the red numbers represent the highest ratings.

Notes

  1. ^ Park Sang-hoon changed his name to Park Soo-oh after singing with KeyEast in April 2025.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b 프로그램 소개 [Program Introduction]. iMBC (in Korean). Retrieved November 22, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m 등장인물 [Characters]. iMBC (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 8, 2025. Retrieved November 22, 2025.
  3. ^ Kang, Nae-ri (April 22, 2025). 박상훈, 박수오로 활동명 변경...키이스트와 전속계약 [Park Sang-hoon changes his stage name to Park Soo-oh...signs exclusive contract with KeyEast]. YTN (in Korean). Archived from the original on May 16, 2025. Retrieved November 22, 2025.
  4. ^ Kim, So-yeon (February 25, 2025). '맹감독의 악플러' 박성웅X박상훈 캐스팅 확정...상반기 첫 방송 ['A Head Coach's Turnover' Confirms Casting of Park Sung-woong and Park Sang-hoon...Premieres in the First Half of the Year]. Maeil Business Newspaper (in Korean). Retrieved November 22, 2025.
  5. ^ Seo, Byung-gi (April 29, 2025). MBC 2부작 금토드라마 '맹감독의 악플러' 박성웅X박수오 첫 만남부터 '케미' 터졌다 ['A Head Coach's Turnover' Park Sung-woong and Park Soo-oh Show Strong 'Chemistry' at First Script Reading for MBC's Two-Part Drama]. The Korea Herald (in Korean). Retrieved November 22, 2025.
  6. ^ Kim, So-yeon (April 30, 2025). 위기의 농구감독 박성웅, 악플러 박수오 손 잡을까? ('맹감독의 악플러') [Will Struggling Basketball Coach Park Sung-woong Team Up with Troll Park Soo-oh? (A Head Coach's Turnover)]. Maeil Business Newspaper (in Korean). Retrieved November 22, 2025.
  7. ^ Lee, Soo-hyun (May 22, 2025). 박성웅X박수오 '맹감독의 악플러', 23일 첫 방송...인물관계도→OTT 관심 [Park Sung-woong X Park Soo-oh's A Head Coach's Turnover to Premiere on the 23rd...Character Relationships and OTT Attention]. Top Star News (in Korean). Retrieved November 22, 2025.
  8. ^ @kocowa_official (May 24, 2025). "New Release His career is on the line, and his secret weapon is his biggest hater?! Get ready for an unlikely assist! Stream #AHeadCoachsTurnover on KOCOWA+" (Tweet). Retrieved November 22, 2025 – via X (formerly Twitter).
  9. ^ 맹감독의 악플러 시청률 [A Head Coach's Turnover ratings] (in Korean). Nielsen Korea. Retrieved November 22, 2025 – via Daum.
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