The coaching carousel
With one conference not even done in the 2013 season of the PBA, there have already been coaching changes. Before the season even started, Norman Black, who was with the Ateneo Blue Eagles, was already picked to replace Chot Reyes at Talk ‘N Text. Chot moved to the national team, and Black, after winning yet another UAAP crown, took over the powerhouse Texters, who are now in the thick of the Philippine Cup playoffs.
Over at Petron Blaze, Ato Agustin, a college basketball championship coach himself at San Sebastian of the NCAA, was replaced with PBA great Olsen Racela, who was fresh off a stint as the Coach of the Youth Team. Of course, former national team coach Rajko Toroman was also with Petron at the start of the conference, often taking the stance of a head coach, apparently confusing coaches, fans, and more importantly, players, along the way. He is now gone and supposedly connected with a team in the Asean Basketball League.
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In-conference, Junel Baculi, erstwhile of Barako Bull, got the earliest boot when the franchise replaced him with his assistant, Bong Ramos. Baculi used to coach in the PBL. Ramos, of course, used to coach the Fedex/Air 21 franchise in the PBA.
With their teams already eliminated from the current tournament, GlobalPort relegated its First Conference Coach, Glenn Capacio, who used to coach the FEU Tamaraws of the UAAP, to First Assistant Coach, and just hired the aforementioned Baculi as its Head Coach. As for Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, they also moved Siot Tanquincen, who used to coach the San Miguel Beermen, back to an Assistant, and promoted his former First Assistant, Alfrancis Chua, who used to coach Tanduay and the Sta Lucia Realtors, to Head Coach.
Confused? Well, the whole thing is more than a tad confusing really. Somebody asked me who the longest-tenured current PBA head coach is right now, and it took me some time reply. There are only ten teams in the league, and I had to think of all ten before finally deducing that the longest-tenured is the guy that, to me, looks the youngest. It’s Ryan Gregorio of the Meralco Bolts, who used to coach for the Purefoods franchise. He's been there since 2010.
How about the second longest? It’s Yeng Guiao of Rain or Shine, who has only been Head Coach for them since 2011, replacing Caloy Garcia, who is now his Assistant. Yeng, of course, has coached a few other PBA teams in his time (i.e., Swift (RFM), Red Bull, and Burger King/Air 21).
There are reports going around as I write this that Ramos may not lead the Barako franchise anymore sometime soon, as Pido Jarencio, Coach of the UST Tigers of the UAAP, is set to be picked as the new Head Coach of the team. Some sources told me this is practically a done deal.
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If so, then three coaching changes would have been made already, and we’re not even done with the First Conference. Surely, this would be unprecedented, more so if you include the two changes done in the pre-season.
The rigors of coaching a PBA team definitely take their toll on coaches. There is so much pressure to produce, to win, at this high stage of basketball in the Philippines, that, despite sometimes lackluster performances from players, it is the coaches who eventually are blamed for failure. Coaches are only as good as their last performances, and one coach’s winning streak could be another’s losing streak, spelling perhaps a contract extension for one, and walking papers for the other.
PBA coaches, however, live and breathe coaching. Most, if not all, head or assistant coaches have coaching as their full-time jobs and coach not just one, but several teams on different levels of basketball. Some started from the “bottom”, coaching grade school and high school teams, or even inter-barangay teams in their respective areas.
Many came from the ranks of former players, whether amateur or pro, who made the shift when their playing careers ended. Some are skills coaches, others defensive tacticians, while many are “whatever the Head Coach requires me to do”- types. All of them have attended coaching seminars conducted by the more “senior” members of their profession, both here and abroad.
Of course, there are more head and assistant coaches all around the PBA who have been head coaches in the past for either PBA or college teams. Luigi Trillo of Alaska used to coach the Adamson Falcons of the UAAP, and his Assistants, Louie Alas and Topex Robinson, used to coach the Letran Knights and the San Sebastian Stags of the NCAA, respectively. Alas also coached Mobiline in the PBA for a while.
Ginebra’s Allan Caidic used to be its Head Coach, GlobalPort’s Ricky Dandan is the Head Coach of the UP Maroons in the UAAP, Meralco’s Jong Uichico used to coach La Salle in the UAAP, and San Miguel and Ginebra in the PBA, while Ronnie Magsanoc just resigned as San Beda coach after winning a title in his first head-coaching stint, and his co-Meralco Assistant, Boyet Fernandez, just replaced him there.
Gee Abanilla of Petron is the current La Salle Coach in the UAAP, but used to be an Assistant with Red Bull, while Assistant Jorge Gallent used to coach in the PBL, the NCAA (San Sebastian also, like some of the earlier names), and even coached B-Meg in the PBA. Koy Banal of San Mig Coffee used to coach FEU and San Beda, and also in the PBL. Richard del Rosario just resigned as Coach of the St Benilde Blazers of the NCAA. TNT Assistant Sandy Arrespacochaga coached the Ateneo Blue Eagles for a season in the UAAP, while another Assistant, Jamike Jarin, coached the Eaglets. Franz Pumaren of Air21 was a multi-titled Coach for La Salle in the UAAP. His Assistant, Tonichi Yturri, coached St Benilde before. Alex Compton was a Coca-Cola/Powerade Assistant, and is now with Alaska.
If I missed anyone else, please bear with me. There are just so many of them!
A handful of the ten PBA coaches came from the UAAP coaching ranks. On the other hand, three UAAP coaches used to be PBA head coaches (Eric Altamirano of NU, Leo Austria of Adamson, and newly-named Ateneo Coach Bo Perasol). PBA Legend, action/comedy actor, and politician Atoy Co has reportedly accepted the coaching job at Mapua in the NCAA. That should be fun to watch.
The roster of basketball coaches is by no means a short one. Every time one coach falters, or is blamed for a team’s poor performance, an opportunity opens up for another coach. Head Coaches can become their former Assistant’s Assistant Coach in the blink of an eye. If this happens, they could be considered more fortunate than those who lose their jobs altogether, having to wait for “the call” somewhere down the road, hoping it does eventually come.
With all the seeming glamor and power that comes with being a basketball head coach, especially in the PBA, there also comes such a great responsibility to deliver. The team owners, the players, and the fans are all ready to pounce. Often, it takes a superhero-like performance for a coach to keep his position. I, for one, will enjoy finding out how the rest of the season treats the current head coaches.
You can follow Charlie Cuna on Twitter @Charlie C.
Editor's note: The blogger's views do not represent Yahoo! Southeast Asia's position on the topic or issue being discussed in this post.
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