TONY Tan understands the uncertainty of his position as new head coach of San Sebastian, given the program's instability in the last four years.
That's why he's hopeful that his case won't be the same as his predecessors.
"I signed for three years, so I'm hoping that I will be here for the next three years - or a little bit longer," he told SPIN.ph after one of Baste's games in the 19th Filoil Ecooil Preseason Cup.
Tan, a Fil-Canadian mentor whose had experience coaching across North America, got the nod and is tasked to oversee this struggling Golden Stags program which has had to endure a turnstile of coaches in recent history, from John Kallos and Arvin Bonleon, to last year with Rob Labagala.
Egay Macaraya was the last shot-caller to stay more than one season in Recto, coaching San Sebastian from 2016 to 2022. Incidentally, that was also when this proud program was last competitive.
But unlike new mentors who are driven to make a splash, Tan is opting to stick with players who remained from last season.
"I'm going to work what I have. I'm not like any other coaches that, 'Oh, I'll probably change half of the team,'" he said.
"I want to work with the kids that I have in front of me, the kids that want to stay, that want to come in. Those are the guys I'm going to work with."
Baste's building blocks
Ralph Gabat, Christian Ricio, and Matt Acosta are among the holdovers from the previous campaign, as the Golden Stags augment their line-up with promotes from Team B.
Though last year's standouts Jhuniel dela Rama and Ian Cuajao are gone, the gold-and-red are upbeat with the arrival of promising rookies in Carlo John Ynot, Qyntrell Magcale, and Dash Cuya.
"I think we're coming along. Little by little, we're improving. They're slowly accepting that this is how needs to be done to be successful," said Tan.
"From the past three years that the kids have been going through, the things that they do, the bad habits, I feel deeply that they didn't really learn anything. It's the frustration from the kids. So this year is a better culture, discipline, more family-orientated."
READ: 'Wala pa rin': Backer yet to fulfill financial promises to Baste
Nonetheless, the first-year tactician acknowledges it's still too early to look to the future, but he's hopeful that he'd continue to be given full faith in this brand new rebuild for the once-proud program.
"For the next three years, I would like to stay," he said. "But at the end of the day, it's also up to the school. But I will do my best to make that happen."
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
