How Chot Reyes and Gilas Pilipinas signed up for a fourth stint

In a transfer that caught everybody unexpectedly, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) introduced late Monday that Vincent “Chot” Reyes will once more coach the Philippine males’s nationwide basketball group.

He takes over from Tab Baldwin, whose success final yr together with his younger pool of beginner gamers was extensively praised. It additionally made his sudden resignation all of the extra puzzling.

Reyes mentioned he by no means thought he could be requested to guide Gilas once more. “I used to be totally having fun with my work as TNT head coach whereas being very busy with my management and group growth apply when this sudden flip of occasions happened,” he advised ESPN in a textual content message.

The timing of the teaching change was additionally uncommon provided that the Philippines can be internet hosting the subsequent window of the 2023 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers in late February, and Reyes is aware of he has his work lower out for him. Quite a few key gamers from Baldwin’s pool are at the moment taking part in abroad, whereas others have signed PBA contracts in current days.

“Too early to inform,” he mentioned when requested concerning the composition of the group. “We’re nonetheless within the technique of taking a list of obtainable gamers from the present Gilas pool. But it surely appears inevitable that we’ll want PBA reinforcements as a result of there are only a few obtainable.”

That is Reyes’ fourth go-around as Gilas Pilipinas’ head coach in a global profession that began practically 17 years in the past. He was an assistant on the Philippine Centennial Group that bagged the bronze medal within the 1998 Asian Video games, however did not get his first call-up as head coach till seven years later. Listed here are the highlights of his worldwide teaching profession.

2005: Reyes is appointed head coach of the Philippine nationwide males’s basketball group. He held the place till 2008. FIBA suspended the Philippines for the primary two years of his tenure, which prevented the nationwide group from collaborating in a number of worldwide tournaments.

2007: The FIBA ban is lifted and Reyes led the primary all-PBA group within the FIBA-Asia Championship. That group — led by Jimmy Alapag, Mark Caguioa, and Asi Taulava — completed ninth. The next yr, Reyes is known as coach of Speak ‘N Textual content within the PBA and stepped down as nationwide group coach. He’s changed by Yeng Guiao.

2012: After main Speak ‘N Textual content to 4 PBA titles, Reyes is reappointed head coach of the nationwide group, now referred to as Gilas Pilipinas. Later that yr, the group comprised of a number of PBA gamers and backstopped by naturalized participant Marcus Douthit wins the William Jones Cup, the nation’s first Jones Cup championship in 14 years. Reyes turned the primary Filipino coach to win a Jones Cup championship.

August 2013: Enjoying earlier than a house crowd, Gilas Pilipinas completed second within the FIBA Asia Championship and certified for the 2014 FIBA World Cup. The run included a win over longtime rivals South Korea within the semifinals the place a tearful Reyes was caught on digicam burying his head in his fingers after the ultimate buzzer.

August-September 2014: Within the nation’s first look within the FIBA World Cup in 36 years, Gilas Pilipinas competed properly in group play — they misplaced to Croatia in time beyond regulation, and misplaced each Argentina and Puerto Rico by 4. Of their final sport, the Filipinos beat Senegal in time beyond regulation to notch the nation’s first win within the World Cup in 40 years. Gilas completed twenty first total amongst 24 groups.

September 2014: Following their World Cup stint, Reyes led Gilas within the Inchon Asian Video games. The group completed seventh in a disastrous stint — the worst-ever end for the Philippines in Asian Video games males’s basketball. In a quarterfinal spherical sport in opposition to Kazakhstan the place the group wanted to win by at the very least 11 factors to advance, Reyes drew criticism for ordering his group to shoot on the opponent’s basket to pressure time beyond regulation. Shortly after returning to the Philippines, Reyes resigned as head coach. Tab Baldwin is known as as substitute in early 2015.

2016: Baldwin stepped down following Gilas’ failed stint within the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Event, Reyes is as soon as once more named head coach and is tasked with qualifying the group for the 2019 FIBA World Cup. Reyes fashioned the Gilas Cadets pool, which is a group of high beginner gamers about to enter the PBA and can be on-call for nationwide group obligation even after they flip professional.

August 2017: Gilas completed seventh within the FIBA Asia Cup, the group’s final main match earlier than the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers kick off.

November 2017: Gilas beats Japan, 77-71, in Tokyo and Chinese language Taipei, 90-83, at house to kick off their Asian Qualifiers stint on a excessive notice.

February 2018: Gilas goes 1-1 within the subsequent window of the qualifiers, dropping to Australia, 84-68, in Melbourne and beating Japan, 89-84, at house.

July 2, 2018: Simply three days after a formidable 93-71 win over Chinese language Taipei in Taipei, Gilas defaults in opposition to Australia on the Philippine Enviornment after a brawl breaks out within the third quarter that left the group with simply three gamers. Officers ejected 4 gamers from Australia and 9 from the Philippines. FIBA suspended a number of gamers and coaches from either side, together with Reyes, who was penalized with a one-game suspension and fined the equal of PHP534,000 “for inciting unsportsmanlike conduct.”

July 25, 2018: Yeng Guiao is known as coach of Gilas for the Jakarta Asian Video games. No gamers from the Australia sport are named to the group. In the course of the match, the SBP pronounces that Guiao will lead Gilas for the remainder of the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers.

February 2021: Reyes is reappointed head coach of the TNT franchise within the PBA, his first teaching stint within the skilled league in practically 10 years. He leads the Tropang Giga to the 2021 Philippine Cup title, the franchise’s first PBA championship in six years.

January 31, 2022: The SBP pronounces that Reyes is once more the top coach of Gilas Pilipinas after Baldwin steps down to focus on his job as head coach of the Ateneo Blue Eagles. Reyes will coach the group within the February 2022 window of the 2023 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers to be held on the Good Araneta Coliseum.