HOUSTON - "I would definitely consider and look into any open opportunities. I still love to coach. It's only been one day and I miss the daily grind already."
That was what Jeff Cariaso told me on August 10 last year, the day after Converge parted ways with him.
See Jeff Cariaso hopes to alter mindset and culture at Blackwater
Two hundred and 40 days later, a door opens and he walks right into another PBA coaching job.
I'm happy that Jeff can now continue to do what he loves to do, a calling that he happens to be very good at.
Unfortunately, that gig is with Blackwater, a destination where coaches go to rot.
Blackwater isn't just a reclamation project. It is an oil spill.
After a historic 29-game losing streak that ended in March last year, the Bossing made another giant leap for mediocrity when they finished this Governors' Cup with a 1-10 record.
BLACKWATER HAS SEEN MORE LOSSES THAN A FUNERAL PARLOR. THIS IS THE KIND OF MESS ONLY FEW HUMAN BEINGS CAN UNTANGLE.
Which is why I fear for the mental health and well-being of Jeff, a consummate professional and wonderful family man who dotes on his wife and their five children.
Built like an SUV at 6-foot-2 and 180 pounds, Cariaso was a terrific player in his heyday, a 10-time All-Star and a nine-time champion during a fabulous career that stretched 15 years.
He played with equal parts flair and tenacity and has more toughness than all of the Blackwater players he is about to mentor.
And though he has yet to win a chip as head coach, Jeff's credentials give him instant credibility that will command the respect a coach needs from his players.
Which, in a weird kind of way, potentially makes Jeff Cariaso the right man for the job.
Obviously, potentially is the operative word here.
BECAUSE CARIASO'S SUCCESS DEPENDS HEAVILY ON HOW BLACKWATER IS BEING RUN.
Will they continue to give away their top draft picks?
Will they allow their best assets to continue to walk out the door?
And will Blackwater increase the budget in order to acquire top-flight reinforcements during import-laden conferences?
If the answer to all of the above questions is a "yes," then Jeff has in his hands the opportunity to watch Blackwater grow and alter its reputation as a willing punching bag.
A "no" to all of the above questions will mean misery will continue to splatter all over Blackwater.
Before agreeing to carry the cross for Blackwater at the sidelines, I hope Cariaso negotiated for having a say on decisions regarding player movement, that he be asked first when someone is shipped out and not just get told after the fact.
That's the only way he can build a team that can compete in the PBA and not just maintain the status quo as the poster boys for incompetence alongside those god-awful Dyip at Terrafirma.
Repeated attempts to reach Jeff fell for naught.
Quiet and well-spoken, Jeff is cerebral. He knows what he is up against and I wish him well.
I hope he lasts beyond the four conferences of the Ariel Vanguardia regime. And when does, I wish he comes out of it better for the experience.
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