Dickel is new interim Gilas head coach

Two-time Olympian and current TNT KaTropa coaching consultant Mark Dickel has been tasked to lead the campaign of Gilas Pilipinas Men in the upcoming first window of the 2021 Fiba Asia Cup Qualifiers as interim head coach.

The Philippines will be opening its campaign with a home game against 2019 Southeast Asian Games silver medalist Thailand on Feb. 20, followed by a road game against Indonesia at Britama Arena in Jakarta on Feb. 23.

“In his short stint in the Philippines, coach Mark has performed creditably well.” said Manny Pangilinan, chair emeritus of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP), the country’s governing body for the sport.

In his young PBA career that started in the 2018 PBA Governors’ Cup, Dickel was able to help the TNT KaTropa end their five-conference absence from the Finals during the 2019 PBA Commissioner’s Cup. The 24-man pool of Gilas Pilipinas Men for the upcoming window includes three members of the KaTropa in RR Pogoy, Troy Rosario and Ray Parks.

“We want to hit the ground running for the upcoming 2021 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers,” Pangilinan said. “We all know what he did to help TNT in such a short span and we’re confident he can also move things quickly as we prepare for the first window this February.”

The SBP intends to announce a full-time coach before the second window of the qualifiers sometime in November this year.