THERE’S more than the Tab Baldwins, Rajko Toromans, or Nenad Vucinics out there if Gilas Pilipinas is considering to tap a foreign coach anew as part of the new direction it is taking after the Asian Games.
The FIBA World Cup provides a platform for former national coaches of other countries to be seen and heard again and possibly, be considered by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) if it is looking for an available foreign mentor.
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At least a number of veteran coaches who had previous World Cup – and Olympic - experience visited the country for the quadrennial showcase which comes to a close on Sunday.
The list includes Mike Taylor, Will Voigt, and Sergio Hernandez.
Michael Brey, the former deputy of ex-Team USA head coach Mike Krzyzewski and long-time coach of Notre Dame, also blew into town, but just briefly watched some of the games before heading back to the US to prepare for the coming NBA season as one of the deputy coaches of Atlanta Hawks under Quin Snyder.
Of the three, Hernandez obviously carried the best credentials.
The 69-year-old Hernandez retired as Argentina head coach at the end of the Tokyo Olympics, but not after a successful 12-year stint with El Alma Argentina.
He was still at the helm of the Argentine team in 2019 when it finished runner-up to Spain in the 2019 edition of the World Cup in China and steered the same side to a bronze medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
In the 12 years he handled Argentina (first in 2005-2010 and then in 2015-2021), Hernandez compiled a record of 84-32 for a winning percentage of 72 – the best in the team’s history – out of 116 games.
Even with Argentina failing to qualify for the World Cup, Hernandez still travelled to Manila to watch the games from the group stage all the way to the quarterfinals.
“Ganyan ka-passionate yan sa basketball. Talagang pinupuntahan niya 'yung mga games personally kahit saan pa 'yan,” said Ariel Vanguardia, the former Blackwater and Jose Rizal University head coach, who has developed a strong bond with Hernandez through the years.
Voigt and Taylor meanwhile, came over to cover the FIBA games live.
The 47-year-old Voigt coached Nigeria in the 2016 Rio De Janeiro Olympics and was the man at the sidelines for Angola when it turned back Gilas Pilipinas in overtime, 84-81, in the 2019 World Cup in China.
He previously worked with the San Antonio Spurs under champion coach Greg Popovich and is currently head coach of the Austin Spurs in the NBA G League.
Voight, who already returned to the U.S., also expressed interest in handling the Gilas Pilipinas program in the past.
For his part, Taylor, 51, was head coach of Poland from 2014-2021 and steered the team to the Round of 16 of the 2015 EuroBasket and a quarterfinals stint in the 2019 FIBA World Cup.
Taylor is currently at the helm of the Winnipeg Sea Bears in the Canadian Elite Basketball League.
He will be in the country until the conclusion of the World Cup.
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Like Voight, both Taylor and Hernandez also showed interest in the Gilas program.
A close look at these three coaches will certainly do no harm for the SBP as the search for a permanent Philippine men’s basketball coach continues by the end of the 19th Asian Games.
Tim Cone, who was named replacement of resigned coach Chot Reyes, said his return stint with Gilas is only on an interim basis.
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