Gilas Pilipinas coach also SEA Games five mentor

TAB Baldwin, the New Zealander head coach of Gilas Pilipinas with the tough task of bringing the Philippines back to the Olympics, has been tapped to mentor the national team to the Southeast Asian Games in June as well.

Perhaps to make him more in tune with the Filipinos’ brand of play, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas also named Baldwin as coach of the team that will see action in the Southeast Asia Basketball Association championship in April.

Both the SEA Games and Seaba will be held in Singapore.

The search and selection committee of the SBP and the Philippine Basketball Association headed by SBP president Manny V. Pangilinan issued the appointment yesterday of Baldwin, who took over from Chot Reyes last December.

The Florida-born Baldwin, who has also coached the national teams of Malaysia, New Zealand, Lebanon and Jordan, will have solid lineups for the two tournaments that include Marcus Douthit and Kiefer Ravena.

“We expect Coach Tab to take off running as men’s national team head coach and that is why it is best he gets his feet wet early,” said SBP executive director Sonny Barrios.