Ryan man at the helm

MANILA, Philippines - It was an offer he couldn’t refuse and although leaving the Purefoods/B-Meg team with a heavy heart, Ryan Gregorio decided to join the PBA’s latest franchise Meralco in a career move that involves a multi-function corporate position as assistant vice president for sports, head of basketball operations and coach with a five-year guaranteed contract.

Gregorio, 38, formalized his agreement after the PBA Board approved the transfer of ownership of the Sta. Lucia Realty franchise to Meralco yesterday. He also announced his departure to the B-Meg players in an emotional meeting.

A source close to Meralco top management said Gregorio was the only candidate to coach the team which will be introduced to the public as the enabling vehicle for a sports advocacy program in a launching ceremony on Aug. 26.

Meralco officials broached the idea of coaching the new team to Gregorio during the Fiesta Conference but an envelope containing the offer was returned by the two-time Coach of the Year awardee who played three years for the UP senior varsity before accepting a role as video coordinator under Maroons coach Eric Altamirano in 1997.

“In all honesty, I didn’t want to lose focus on the job we were doing at B-Meg,” said Gregorio. “I told Meralco I would only entertain an offer after B-Meg’s last game. I received an e-mail from Meralco after our game for third place last Friday then talked it over with my family and (Purefoods president) Mr. (Butch) Alejo.”

Last Sunday, Gregorio spoke to San Miguel Corp. president and chief operating officer Ramon Ang over lunch at the Manila Diamond Hotel on Roxas Boulevard.

“Mr. Alejo had briefed Mr. Ang about the offer,” said Gregorio. “I respectfully asked for Mr. Ang’s blessings. I owe so much to Mr. Ang for giving me the opportunity to work with such a prestigious organization. He saw it as a career move with a corporate option for me. There was no negativity at all. Mr. Ang graciously consented to my transfer for which I will eternally be indebted.”

Gregorio said he leaves the Purefoods franchise on a high note. “We broke the all-time number of wins in a season with 41, the highest ever since 1988,” said Gregorio. “But more than that, we prepared the team for the future. Our trades put us in a good position for next season where we have the top overall pick. At the moment, we’re working out details for Ronnie (Magsanoc) to join me at Meralco. But the other assistant coaches Koy Banal, Jorge Gallent and Dayong Mendoza will stay at B-Meg. We’ve always employed a policy of on-the-job training with our assistant coaches to prepare them for the possibility of elevation in the future so I think the staff is ready to take over with Ronnie and I leaving.”

Gregorio said a tedious process awaits him in building a competitive team at Meralco.

“It’s a lot of hard work ahead but before anything else, I requested Mr. (Mon) Segismundo (Meralco senior vice president for human resources and representative to the PBA Board) if I could take a break with my family,” said Gregorio who leaves with wife Jin and children Ysabelle Marie Briana, 9, and Ramon Jose, 7, for a vacation in Guam today. “We return to Manila on Monday then it’s the start of a new chapter in my life.”

Gregorio said he will never forget his last conference with B-Meg. “We kept on pushing ourselves until the end but it just wasn’t enough,” he said. “The stronger, fresher and better team won over us but not without a fight. We may have lost to San Miguel in the semifinals but deep inside us, we felt like winners simply because we knew that we all did our best. Truly a remarkable journey for all of us, a journey that I will remember for many, many years.”

Gregorio’s entry into coaching as a video coordinator was reminiscent of Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra’s own odyssey. From UP, Gregorio joined Altamirano’s staff at Purefoods and took over as interim coach to lead the Tender Juicy Hot Dogs to the 2002 Governors Cup title. Gregorio became head coach in 2004 and has since added two more All-Filipino trophies to Purefoods’ collection.

“My philosophy is based on teamwork, that I take care of my responsibilities to the players and they’ll take care of their responsibilities to the team,” said Gregorio in a previous interview. “There’s no ‘i’ in teamwork. My feeling is winning a game goes beyond the Xs and Os. It’s about getting the players to dive for the loose ball, to play defense, to cover for each other, to make the big plays, to be mentally tough.

“I always start practices with a prayer. I try to be the best I can be but not everything is determined by man because in the end, it is God’s will that prevails. Everything has a reason for happening and I have strong faith in God. What we all do is for His glory.”

As for his family life, Gregorio said his world revolves around his wife Jin (whose father Gene Salgado was once a Letran cager and an alternate with the national team) and their two children. “My motivation is to give my children a better life than I have,” he said. “We have strong family ties. When I come home after a loss, my kids always greet me, saying it’s okay, we still love you. That tells me there’s more to life than basketball.”

Gregorio said his orientation in life was influenced by his parents Martin and Lucille, both highly respected educators.