MANILA, Philippines - For Barangay Ginebra, the first order for year 2013 is a major change in the coaching set-up.
With the team deemed to underperform and underachieve in the last four conferences, the team management decided to elevate coaching consultant Alfrancis Chua to head coach in lieu of Siot Tanquingcen who was relegated back to his old post as assistant.
“Yes, pahiyang (Yes, we’re looking for a good break),” Robert Non, a top SMC executive and PBA board chair, told The STAR to confirm their decision finalized on the first day of the new year.
“Siot (Tanquingcen) will be the first assistant which is the role of Alfrancis at present. We’ve done that before and the result was positive,” said Non.
“It’s a continuing process for the improvement of our teams,” said Non of the process they also undertake in the other SMC teams, namely Petron Blaze and San Mig Coffee.
The coaching change actually did not come as a surprise, with it being the subject of speculations since last year following a string of disappointing finishes by the Kings.
The Kings didn’t improve in the current Philippine Cup, bundled out by the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in the quarterfinals.
In his first season after reassuming the head coaching job at Ginebra last year, the Kings’ performance dipped to .578 (26-19 win-loss record) from .586 (34-24) in 2010-11 under coach Jong Uichico.
The Kings settled for sixth place in the Philippine Cup before improving to third in both the Commissioner’s and the Governors Cups. The Kings fared better in the previous year, finishing third in the first conference, second in the second confab and fourth in the third and final conference.
Tanquingcen has three titles tucked under his belt as head coach but hasn’t won one since steering San Miguel Beer to championship in the 2008-09 Fiesta Conference.
He’s thankful to the management despite his demotion.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity I got from God and the team management to lead the team of Ginebra a second time around. I would like to thank everyone for their support and encouragement through this past season,” said Tanquingcen.
Ginebra hasn’t won a championship since the 2007-2008 Fiesta Conference, and the management obviously aches to end the drought.
They’re pinning their hopes on Chua, who is not new to head coaching job in the PBA, having been bench chieftain with the defunct Tanduay and Sta. Lucia Realty teams.
A former Letran Squire and UST Tiger, Chua was a multi-titled coach with the Asia Brewery Inc. franchise in the PBL, gaining a reputation as a “player coach.”