It's official: Uichico is new RP team coach
by Agnes R. Cruz
MANILA: When the master is down, naturally, the disciple
-- and only the most trusted and dependable disciple -- takes
over.
So Jong Uichico finally assumed the role of Philippine team
head coach held previously by his acknowledged guru, Ron Jacobs,
who remains in hospital in a comatose state. Uichico's ascension
to the coaching job that carries with it the intense labor
and pressure of winning the Asian Games basketball gold against
such powerhouse teams as China and South Korea is highly expected.
He was originally Jacobs'chief lieutenant when the latter
laid down late last year the comprehensive program for the
country's ambitious campaign in this year's Asian Games in
Pusan, South Korea.
And for the record, he was the only assistant coach officially
named by Jacobs as his team consultant on the San Miguel bench
before the ailing American strategist suffered a stroke last
Dec. 23.
The 59-year-old Jacobs, who was named as national team coach
last month by the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA),
is largely credited for nurturing Uichico to becoming one
of the finest coaches in the professional league today. The
young ward's success of winning at least five PBA titles for
the Beermen in the last three seasons is a testament to that.
Earlier, PBA commissioner Jun Bernardino, citing Jacobs' risky
health condition, suspended tryouts for the national team
and declared vacant the head coaching position.
But after extensive consultation with the PBA Board of Governors,
Bernardino officially named Uichico as Jacobs' replacement.
The PBA took into great consideration Uichico's familiarity
with the former's program and winning formula, and, more importantly,
the league's strong belief that he is capable of handling
the Pusan-bound quintet.
"I am picking Mr. Jong Uichico as the replacement for
Mr. Ron Jacobs. Officially, Jong Uichico is the appointed
head coach for the Asian Games this year," said Bernardino
moments after the annual rookie draft at the Glorietta in
Makati.
Bernardino made the announcement after he personally asked
team officials to submit a list of names whom they feel available
and qualified for the tedious coaching job.
He emphasized that the choice of Uichico is the choice of
the PBA, thus, the Asian Games participation is a PBA undertaking
and not by a single PBA team.
I would like to emphasize that the choice of Mr. Uichico is
strictly the choice and undertaking of the PBA, he said, while
dispelling rumors that Uichico was chosen because of the intercession
of the men who control his team, the San Miguel Corporation,
that is.
Jong is a San Miguel coach, but it has nothing to do with
the reaching of the decision and no special commitment was
ever given to the Cojuangcos, he clarified.
All basketball teams, Bernardino stressed, participated in
sharing their talents and bankrolling the endeavors and programs
of the national team so it would be unfair to the other teams
if we refer to Uichico as the San Miguel coach to the RP team.
Jong now belongs to the PBA, and is fully supported by the
PBA, Bernardino said. He urged the rest of the league, and
the country, to rally around him.
According to Bernardino, Uichico has the option to include
Jacobs, should he recover fully from the stroke, as coaching
consultant.
He believes that besides Uichico being a protege of Jacobs
enabling him to continue with the program already put in place
by the American mentor before suffering a stroke, no other
coach in the league was willing to handle the reins of the
national team.
Actually, Uichico was not the league's first choice to succeed
Jacobs. The job was initially offered to Shell's Perry Ronquillo
who declined the job. Other top PBA coaches showed little
interest.
Interestingly, too, Uichico had earlier begged off from the
job, asking the league to offer it first to the other coaches
to prevent any controversy from brewing over his appointment.
But he said if no one was willing to coach the national team,
then he would gladly take on the duty.
No one did. One by one, the coaches who were offered the job
came out in the papers and voiced their hesitation. And the
duty fell on the lap of Uichico.
So the unassuming 6-2 former national team player only has
eight good months to prepare the national team and make it
competitive for the Asiad slated from Sept. 24-Oct. 14, and
practically, he is running against time.
He is now working overtime, trying to pick up from where the
man he succeeded left off, in a determined bid to realize
a coveted goal that is to bring the Asian basketball supremacy
back to the Philippines and end its 40-year title drought
in the prestigious quadrennial meet.
It's always an honor to be a head coach of any national team.
But the only thing I can promise is the team will do its best
to bring back honor to the country, said the 39-year-old Uichico,
who served as an assistant to coach Norman Black who handled
the national squad in the Hiroshima edition of the games in
1994. *
Back to top
|
