New coach says Gilas program in ‘good shape’
MANILA, Philippines — The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas formally introduced Tab Baldwin as the new head coach of the Philippine men’s national basketball team on Tuesday night.
Baldwin was accompanied by SBP officials Sonny Barrios and Ricky Vargas and PBA commissioner Chito Salud in a press conference held at the Mall of Asia Arena before Game 3 of the 2015 PBA Philippine Cup semifinals between Talk ‘N Text and San Miguel Beer tipped off.
“Tab Baldwin will be the Gilas coach for the next four years leading to the Fiba World Championship in 2019. He will be in charge of the whole basketball development program of the SBP,” Vargas said. “We went through a selection process. We deliberated on the coaches. Not that Tab is the best amongst all of them, he is the most cit in the criteria that we put together in selecting our next Philippine national team coach.”
Tab Baldwin. PBA PHOTO
“It’s a tremendous privilege to succeed coach Chot and to assume this position as head coach of Gilas Pilipinas. I’m very, very excited about the opportunity because this team is in good shape. This program is in good shape,” the 56-year-old American-New Zealander Baldwin said.
Baldwin has no shortage experience-wise in international basketball. He guided New Zealand to the semifinals of the 2002 World Championships in Indianapolis and was also a former national coach of Lebanon, Malaysia and Jordan.
Baldwin is familiar with the current Gilas program after serving as team consultant starting from the team’s campaign in the 2013 Fiba Asia Championship here to the Incheon Asian Games in Korea.
Originally posted at 8:39 pm | Tuesday, December 23, 2014
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