Chongson says UE needs change in management as Final 4 drought continues

Photo from UAAP

ANTIPOLO—University of the East’s Final Four drought will continue for another year and active consultant Lawrence Chongson said the school needs to change the way it handles the Red Warriors.

Chongson said that instead of changing coaches on a whim, UE should change the management in charge of the men’s basketball team.

The Red Warriors lost badly to Ateneo, 84-50, Sunday at Ynares Center here, eliminating them from Final Four contention after their record dropped to 3-9.

“One thing you have to give to them [UE] is they don’t stop trying. Perhaps, this is personally my opinion, they should try changing the management instead of changing the coaches,” said Chongson.

UE last made the Final Four in Season 72 when Chongson was still the team’s head coach with Paul Lee leading the way.

The closest UE got to the Final Four was in Season 77 when it finished with a 9-5 record but lost to eventual champion National University in a playoff for the fourth seed.

The Red Warriors have had six coaches from Season 72 to 82 with the likes of Chongson, Jerry Codiñera, Boysie Zamar, Derrick Pumaren, Joe Silva, and Bong Tan getting their crack at UE’s helm.

Of those names, Codiñera and Silva had only had one-year tenures, Zamar and Chongson stayed for a couple of seasons, and Pumaren called the shots for the Red Warriors for three years.

This constant changing of coaches prevented UE from forming a culture and each replacement was seen as a stopgap measure.

“Everybody’s acting in good faith, but it’s just that sometimes, when you put the steering wheel on the wrong driver, chances are they’d drive you off a cliff,” said Chongson.