Stepping down right thing to do, says Olsen

FEU coach Olsen Racela during a game against Adamson in the UAAP Season 85 men’s basketball tournament. UAAP PHOTO

Far Eastern University (FEU) is on the lookout for its next UAAP coach.

After five years at the helm and with still a year left on his contract, Olsen Racela has stepped down as head coach of the Tamaraws, a decision the school only accepted on Thursday.

“I felt that it was the right thing to do,” said Racela, who tendered his resignation after FEU’s last game this season.

The Barangay Ginebra assistant coach added he wants to give FEU a clean slate to restart a program he put in place, one that was focused on winning the right way.

FEU, in a Facebook post, thanked Racela for guiding the team with “class and for always instilling the proper values.”

The Tamaraws ended this season with a 5-9 record, missing the Final Four for the first time since 2012. It also marked the first time that Racela, generally considered as one of the best playmakers to see action in the Philippine Basketball Association, missed the semifinals.

Racela, who stepped in for brother Nash in 2017, collected 37 wins and 39 losses in his UAAP stint, where he put equal emphasis on process and results.

This is the second time FEU was hit with a major and unexpected departure.

Last season, the team lost RJ Abarrientos, who decided to leave the Tamaraws to sign with Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus in the Korean Basketball League.