Abanilla stays as Racela’s deputy at Petron

Olsen Racela stays on as head coach of Petron while Gee Abanilla remains as deputy.

No head coaching job for Petron is waiting for Gee Abanilla, who recently left La Salle as top bench tactician to rejoin  the coaching staff of San Miguel Corp. in the Philippine Basketball Association.

“Gee remains as an assistant coach with Petron,” said San Miguel Corp. basketball operations head Robert Non Sunday quelling speculations that Abanilla will replace Olsen Racela as Petron coach.

“He’ll just be working full time (with us) because before, he was dividing his time,” added Non, the incumbent PBA chair who is also on top in handling the affairs of Barangay Ginebra and San Mig Coffee, the two other SMC teams in the pro league.

Juno Sauler, Abanilla’s assistant, has been elevated as  La Salle head coach post just weeks before the UAAP men’s basketball tournament fires off on June 29.

The surprise La Salle coaching change came just days after the Archers bowed out of the quarterfinals of the Filoil summer tournament with consecutive losses to University of the East, Ateneo and San Beda.

Sauler, who also suited for La Salle in the ’90s, steered the Lady Archers to three straight UAAP crowns starting in 1999.