Uichico has inside track in Gilas ‘list’

MANILA, Philippines - Tab Baldwin and Jong Uichico loom as the top choices as the next national coach as Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas executive director Sonny Barrios clarified yesterday the set of criteria the SBP special committee used in screening the candidates Wednesday.

In a text message yesterday, Barrios, the spokesman of the special committee, specifically explained “full time availability” as a criterion.

“Gilas head coach must be full time only when he takes over the team and the program. If currently coaching, he must take a leave from his present job when he starts with Gilas,” Barrios clarified, meaning former national coaches and current PBA bench chieftains Uichico, Norman Black, Tim Cone and Yeng Guiao were not automatically out of consideration.

“Under that criterion, PBA coaches are not out. They may even be the last two,” Barrios also said.

The SBP top official insisted they strictly followed the criteria in trimming six nominees to two.

But the committee, chaired by SBP vice chairman Ricky Vargas and also made up of PBA officials Chito Salud, Patrick Gregorio and Robert Non, opted not to divulge the names since these coaches didn’t apply for the position.

Barrios, however, said one could make a good elimination process looking at the criteria.

Critical criteria are experience/exposure and familiarity with the Gilas program.  

Based on these, four would be left, and these would be Baldwin, Uichico, Black and Ryan Gregorio who have all been in the Gilas Pilipinas staff from 2013.

Barrios also mentioned the experience/exposure criterion, saying: “The most recent and the most extensive the better.”

Baldwin is the candidate with the most extensive experience coaching in FIBA tournaments, having handled the national teams of New Zealand, Malaysia, Lebanon and Jordan before joining Gilas.

He’s been a head coach in the FIBA Asia, FIBA Oceania and FIBA world, with good results.

Among the local coaches, Uichico has had the most extensive exposure in FIBA tournaments and the most familiar with Gilas, being Chot Reyes’ chief assistant.