Ulsan Hyundai, the runner-up in the top division football league this year, named a new head coach on Friday, two days after an abrupt resignation of the former bench boss.

The K League Classic club said former national team defender Jo Min-gook will take over as the head coach. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Jo, 50, had coached Ulsan Hyundai Mipo Dolphin FC in the National League, the country's top semi-professional competition, since 2009, and this is his first coaching post in the K League Classic.

Under his tutelage, Dolphin FC won two National League championships, including this year.

Jo replaces Kim Ho-gon, who stepped down on Wednesday, three days after Ulsan Hyundai finished in second place in the K League Classic, one point behind Pohang Steelers.

Ulsan lost the season finale against Pohang 1-0 on a last-second goal, when a draw would have clinched their first championship in eight years. Kim had said he wanted to hold himself accountable for letting the league title slip through the team's grasp.

Kim's club ended the season with two straight losses.

Before joining Dolphin FC, Jo had coached Korea University to four consecutive national collegiate championships. He coached some of the future national team stars such as Cha Du-ri, Lee Chun-soo and Park Chu-young.

As a defensive back in his playing days, Jo represented South Korea at the 1986 Asian Games in Seoul, the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul and the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy.

In the K League Classic, he played in 139 games over 12 seasons with two franchises.

Both Ulsan Hyundai and Dolphin FC are controlled by Hyundai Heavy Industries, and the two clubs have often exchanged players on loan deals. (Yonhap News)