On leaving and moving on

The departure  last week of Luigi Trillo as Alaska head coach will not be the last coaching change story we will hear or read about.

Coaches know this going into their chosen profession.  Their tenure holds only as long as a team keeps winning or if all remains well between front office and mentor.

Most likely, we shall not find out the real reasons for the parting of ways of Alaska and Trillo.  It is quite ironic though that it was only last year when Trillo was hailed as PBA Press Corps Coach of the Year, winning a championship as well for the multi-titled franchise.  But team managements have the final say in these matters and the lack of wins, leadership or support of the players could prove to be a mentor’s undoing.  Or it could be something else.

This is almost like Mark Jackson’s departure from the Golden State Warriors.  Jackson steered the team to a playoff finish this year and rejuvenated attendance at the Warriors Oakland Arena.  However, for still very unclear reasons, Jackson was not renewed for next season.  Former Chicago and San Antonio three-point specialist Steve Kerr is set to take over and should dive into the job as soon as his NBA playoff broadcast duties are done.

There is no one way for a relationship to end.  Some bruised egos and pinched emotions will merge in the exchange to find a solution to a coaching dilemma.  It is outright decent if both parties can come together to discuss the matter amicably and agree that a coaching change would be good for all concerned.  This is a lot better than being hit by a backdoor play where you find out that you are out of a coaching job, regardless if you had done your job well in the past.

Looking forward, Alex Compton should do very well as Alaska head coach for a variety of good reasons.  Compton was quite a player in his MBA, PBL and brief PBA stints.  He always took the big shot so pressure is not going to be an unfamiliar turf.  Compton has also worked as an assistant with Rain or Shine, Coca-Cola and Alaska.  He knows how to play the assistant’s role and should get the most out of the lieutenants who are in his current staff.