Chot Reyes replaces Tab Baldwin as Gilas head coach
THE Samahan ng Basktebol ng Pilipinas announced on Monday that Coach Chot Reyes will be back at helm as the Gilas Pilipinas head coach as Tab Baldwin steps down to focus on his Ateneo squad in the collegiate level.
The 58-year-old coach who recently led TNT Tropang Giga to a PBA championship was also surprised by the news and did not expect that he will again be calling the shots for Gilas.
"I'm as surprised as anyone by the sudden turn of events. I've always believed in the program and system that coach Tab was developing. However, things happen and such is life. When things happen, we have to be agile, we have to be able to pivot, and change direction with speed and quickness," he told CNN Philippines' Sports Desk Tuesday.
"I was very surprised when chairman MVP called me to a meeting with Pres. Al Panlilio and boss Ricky Vargas to inform me that coach Tab was stepping down and asking me if I was willing to coach Gilas again," he also said in a separate interview.
According to SBP president Manny V. Pangilinan, the familiarity of Chot Reyes with the Gilas Pilipinas program is a proof that he is the 'sensible choice' to handle the men’s national team.
“Chot is the sensible choice to take over the Gilas coaching because he is very familiar with the program,” said Pangilinan in a statement on Monday night. “He also has solid experience in international competition and FIBA games.
Reyes led Gilas to a runner-up finish at the 2013 Fiba Asia Championship, after a 36-year absence, wherein his squad beat South Korea at the Mall of Asia Arena and a ticket to the 2014 World Cup in Spain.
Tab Baldwin reportedly decided to step down from the post to focus on his job as coach of the Ateneo Blue Eagles, whose UAAP schedule could overlap with the Gilas buildup for the World Cup.
However, Reyes is also open to meeting Nenad Vucinic, the five-time NZ-NBL Coach of the Year, tapped to be one of Baldwin’s consultants for Gilas Pilipinas in the 2023 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers who has been in the country for the past week but his involvement with the team is still uncertain after the news of Baldwin stepping down emerged.
“Of course, I’m very much open to working with Coach Tab as well,” Reyes then added.
Tags: #Gilas, #basketball, #FIBA