Josh Reyes resigns as Gilas boys coach after 6 years

Gilas Pilipinas boys team Josh Reyes during the Fib U18 Asian Championship. –FIBA BASKTETBALL PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Gilas Pilipinas boys national team coach Josh Reyes has stepped down from his post after more than six years at the helm.

Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) on Friday announced that Reyes has decided to resign as the head of the youth program but will continue to serve the seniors team as part of coach Tim Cone’s coaching staff. 

Reyes’ last task with the Gilas boys team ended with a tenth-place finish in the Fiba Under-18 Championship, where the Filipinos missed star Andy Gemao due to a hand fracture.

“The last Under-18 team gave me the ending I didn’t know I needed,” Reyes said in a statement.

READ: Fiba U18 Asia Cup-bound Gilas Boys sweep Seaba qualifiers

“I thank them for giving me their very best because as a coach that’s all you can ask for. It’s my worst finish but it’s a group that gave me a meaningful experience. It’s not entirely about the wins and losses but about the journey and how you grow together.”

The son of former Gilas men’s coach Chot Reyes said he decided to give up his post to give more time to his family.

“I’m proud of those achievements but I’m more proud of the relationships I’ve built with our teams. Seeing them succeeding in their basketball careers and being better individuals after their Gilas Youth service outweighs anything that we achieved on the court,” Reyes said.

“But now I have two young kids at home and the time away is starting to become heavier so I’m looking forward to having more time for my family while still being a part of coach Tim’s staff. I’m at peace with how my Gilas Youth journey reached its completion.”

READ: Gilas Pilipinas boys finish last in Fiba U17 World Cup

Reyes, who started as an assistant coach in the program in 2017 followed by a promotion in the following year for the U18 Asian Championship, had two historic Fiba World Cup appearances for the youth program. 

The youth team, led by Kai Sotto, AJ Edu, and Dave Ildefonso, ended a 40-year absence in the U19 World Cup after its best finish since 1992 in the Asia Championship 2018.

Reyes and the U16 team, led by Kieffer Alas, ruled the 2023 SEABA tournament and reached the semifinals of the Fiba U16 Asian Championship, where it beating South Korea in the playoffs and upset Japan in the quarterfinals, to book a spot in the Fiba U-17 World Cup.

SBP will name the next Gilas youth coach in the coming weeks.