AFTER turning former team NLEX into a playoffs contender, coach Yeng Guiao’s next job puts him in charge of building up Rain or Shine’s (ROS) youth-laden core.
Mr. Guiao made his way back to his old team ROS just three days after parting ways with the Road Warriors.
He signed a three-year contract in the presence of team owners Terry Que and Raymund Yu yesterday, signaling his second tour of duty for the franchise he first served from 2011 to 2016 and steered to the 2012 Governors Cup and the 2016 Commissioner’s Cup championships.
At the ROS camp, Mr. Guiao is tasked to help the E-Painters’ young guns like Rey Nambatac, Anton Asistio, Mike Nieto, Gian Mamuyac, Shaun Ildefonso, Andrei Caracut and Santi Santillan grow and develop into a playoffs-ready unit after the group missed the post-elims stages of the last two conferences.
The seven-time champion coach will get help from veterans Gabe Norwood, Beau Belga and Jewel Ponferada, the remaining holdovers from his old ROS crew, in doing this.
Mr. Guiao’s re-entry created a shakeup in the ROS think tank with erstwhile head of basketball operations Caloy Garcia set to serve as first assistant and former head coach Chris Gavina sliding to second assistant.
“Yeng (Guiao) is happy to be back and we’re happier to have him back,” said Mr. Yu, who initiated a blitz negotiation with Mr. Guiao over the weekend.
Mr. Guiao is expected to hit the ground running for ROS with the Commissioner’s Cup firing off on Sept. 21. The E-Painters will be reinforced by 6-foot-10 American-Nigerian Daniel Ochefu. — Olmin Leyba