Favis head coach of Coca-Cola

Binky Favis, a former UST Tiger who has toiled as an assistant coach in the PBA for quite sometime already, is finally assuming a head-coaching job in the country’s premier pro league, taking over from Eric Altamirano at Coca-Cola.

Altamirano has reassumed his old position as chief tactician of the touring San Miguel All Stars, leaving the Coca-Cola head-coaching position vacant to be filled by Favis upon the return of the RP-San Miguel team from the Jones Cup joust in Taipei.

Favis, who had been a head coach in the NCAA and the defunct MBA, is among the deputies of coach Chot Reyes in the RP training pool. (See related story on Page 18)

Apparently, he was advised of his appointment as the new head mentor of the Tigers before leaving for the US where the Nationals played in the Global Hoops Summit in Las Vegas.

Spots for assistant coaches at Coca-Cola were also left open with Altamirano bringing his staff in his return to the San Miguel All Stars. Left behind are original Coca-Cola assistant coaches Biboy Ravanes and Nash Racela.

An SMC official said Favis would discuss things with old pals Ravanes and Racela upon his return from Taipei. Shell assistant coach Dayong Mendoza is reportedly among those who’ve sent feelers of their intention to work under Favis.

The fates of coach Leo Austria and his staff remain uncertain with the team still awaiting the decision of the international mother corporation of Shell on whether to keep its franchise in the PBA.

At Talk n Text, the make-up of Joel Banal’s staff has been changed with Derek Pumaren signed to a one-year contract as consultant and Gerardo "Bong" Ramos tapped in to work as assistant coach. Virgil Villavicencio, Aric del Rosario and Josel Angeles were not re-signed.

Curiously, Pumaren is Banal’s next-door neighbor at Valle Verde. Ramos, meanwhile, is Banal’s fellow Mapuan.

At FedEx, there were reports that the team is considering to sign RP Youth coach Johnny Tam to succeed Ramos.