BLACKWATER and coach Ariel Vanguardia officially parted ways after two years together.
The Bossing management and Vanguardia parted amicably after a season that began with a lot of promise, but unfortunately, ended on a disappointing note.
Blackwater officials and Vanguardia had a meeting on Saturday and both agreed a fresh start is needed by the franchise.
READ: Jeff Cariaso eyed to be the next Blackwater coach
Reached for comment, team owner Dioceldo Sy said he’s ‘looking forward to a very new Blackwater Bossing.’
Sy said the team is looking to keep Vanguardia in the team under a different capacity, having previously served as assistant coach and alternate governor before taking over the head-coaching job.
Hurt by injuries to key players, Blackwater limped home in the season-ending Governors' Cup as it finished dead-last with a 1-10 record.
The standings was a complete reversal from the Bossing's strong start in the Philippine Cup where they won five of their first seven games before skidding heading to the playoffs.
As the No. 8 seeded team, the Bossing were drubbed by eventual champion San Miguel in the quarterfinals, 123-93.
The team also had a strong start in the mid-season Commissioner's Cup highlighted by its upset of San Miguel, 109-106, for an even 2-2 record.
But like in the all-Filipino, the Bossing faltered as the conference wore on, and failed to make the playoffs with a 3-9 record.
In the four conferences he's been at the helm of the Bossing, Vanguardia compiled a 10-36 (win-loss record).
Under his watch, Vanguardia endured the ignominy of registering the longest losing streak in PBA history at 29 after initially inheriting the coaching job from Nash Racela following the Philippine Cup inside the Bacolor bubble.
After winning the team's final game in last season's Governors' Cup to break the losing spell, Vanguardia tweaked the Blackwater roster that netted the Bossing big men Yousef Taha, and rookies Ato Ular and No. 1 overall pick Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser that paved the way for their resurgence in the Philippine Cup.
The team later acquired Troy Rosario as part of the Ganuelas-Rosser trade as well as Tyrus Hill, Mike Digregorio, and RJ Ilagan in a separate deal.
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