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Producers Kwon Rak-hee, Choi Yun-young and Lee Jae-woo (from left), who directed the MBC variety show The Wonder Coach, pose at MBC headquarters in Sangam, Seoul. / Source: MBC

The production team behind The Wonder Coach—a reality-variety program following coach Kim Yeon-koung and her team’s development—shared candid reflections on their creative journey ahead of the show’s final episode.

At a press conference held on November 17 at MBC’s Sangam headquarters, PDs Kwon Rak-hee, Choi Yun-young and Lee Jae-woo spoke about the tension, excitement and unexpectedly strong viewer reaction that defined the making of the show.

The Wonder Coach, which chronicles the growth of Kim Yeon-koung’s “Pilseung Wonder Dogs,” has seen rising popularity each week. Episode 8, aired on November 16, posted a 2.4% rating in the key 20–49 demographic, ranking first among Sunday variety shows for five consecutive weeks and reaching a peak of 5.0%.

Kwon said, “I kept thinking how relieved I was. We felt a heavy responsibility not to harm Coach Kim’s career. Being able to deliver great results makes us truly happy.” Checking the ratings each morning, he added, “has become the biggest joy these days.”

Choi recalled early planning sessions: “Since January we kept asking ourselves, ‘Will viewers like this?’ I’m grateful so many people supported us.”

Lee described the show as “filled with new challenges,” adding that it was “the most heart-pounding time” of his career as a producer.

A candid look at the show’s mid-season crisis

The team also reflected on tougher moments, such as consecutive losses to Japan mid-season.
Choi said, “The atmosphere was so heavy that we held an emergency strategy meeting all night in the hotel lobby.”

Kwon added that because of the team’s pledge to win more than half their matches, “The thought ‘Is the team actually going to fall apart?’ briefly crossed my mind.”

During the Jeong Kwan Jang Cup, even superstitions developed among the staff—speaking less, watching clothing colors and avoiding statements like “I think we’ll win” became internal taboos.

Kim Yeon-koung’s behind-the-scenes presence

Kwon said the editing process often revealed surprises:
“Because we minimized producer intervention on site, Coach Kim’s sharp insights—things we didn’t fully catch in person—showed up vividly in the edited footage.”

Her advice to Inkusie—“Find a solution”—stood out to him:
“In the editing room, we felt clearly how well-prepared she was as a coach.”

Kim’s monitoring habits were also memorable.

“Earlier on, she would point out volleyball errors in detail, almost like a reviewer saying, ‘This part is wrong,’” Kwon joked. “Later, when ratings rose, she’d call saying, ‘I wanted to watch it again.’ That made us incredibly happy.”

Season 2? Producers say they’ll try

Asked about a second season, Kwon said,
“Given the huge support from viewers, we’ll work hard to share good news. We will try to persuade Coach Kim and MBC.”

With award-season buzz rising, he added, “We still have the final episode left. We’ll give it our all until the end.”

He emphasized that The Wonder Coach was possible because of teamwork:
“We haven’t taken a single day off editing since September 4. Just like positions on a volleyball team, everyone fulfilled their role.”

Lee added that if a second season comes, the team hopes to “explore new volleyball stories to present.”

The final episode of The Wonder Coach will air on November 23 at 9:10 p.m.