THE path back to relevance for the San Sebastian Stags has encountered another roadblock.
Tony Tan, the Golden Stags' newly appointed coach, is no more, leaving the team a little less than three months before the start of NCAA Season 102 men's basketball tournament.
San Sebastian legend Rodney Santos, who was supposed to be one of Tan's assistant coaches, has taken over in an interim capacity as he has been manning the sidelines for the winless Golden Stags in the 19th Filoil Ecooil Preseason Cup.
READ San Beda, Letran banner opposite brackets for NCAA Season 102
It's an unexpected coaching comeback for Santos, who last called the shots for his alma mater back in NCAA Season 91 where the Recto crew ended up seventh with a 6-12 (win-loss) record.
"Mahirap kasi naghahabol kami, from the coaches na natira hanggang sa players na inaaral pa lang yung sistema before. Ngayon para kaming nag-back to zero," said the seven-time PBA champion.
The school has yet to issue a statement on the development although SPIN.ph sources bared that Tan left for Canada back in late May due to "health issues."
Insiders, however, said that there's more to the divorce than meets the eye, with one source citing a "failure to deliver on the promises, particularly on the financial side" as the real reason for the separation.
Though there are still negotiations between the two side to hopefully mend the relationship, another source from the school said the marriage is over and done with and San Sebastian is scampering to find a new supporter in time for the start of the season.
Tan came to San Sebastian with much fanfare with his United Prep Canada committing to be the new team sponsor for the upcoming season, with the school even announcing the signing back in January.
However, sources bared that the agreement only took effect in March and even after the Fil-Canadian mentor started running practices, these promises were never met.
Tan's exit continues a disturbing trend for the once-proud program which has gone through a turnstile of coaches for the better part of the last decade, with the last coach lasting over a year being former Stags star Egay Macaraya from 2016 to 2022.
Tan, in turned out, won't even get to coach one.
The Stags have not won an NCAA championship since ruling the 2009 season with a team led by the 'Pinatubo Trio' of Calvin Abueva, Ian Sangalang, and Ronald Pascual and coached by former PBA MVP Ato Agustin. - RL
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