CHICAGO — Out of nowhere, like a flash of lightning on a clear blue sky, the NLEX Road Warriors decided they were better off without Yeng Guiao as their head coach and elected not to renew his contract.
As do other places of employment, the acquisition and termination of manpowerper is the employer's prerogative.
Well, it's also my prerogative to opine that the move is dumb and backward thinking.
See Yeng Guiao offered corporate position, not coaching job, by NLEX
Guiao is a seven-time champion and a two-time Coach of the Year awardee. A leader of men, he is strong-minded, dedicated, and smart as a whip.
Yeah, he's got that famous temper. But what others may consider as implosions, I view only as passionate outbursts meant to convey teachable moments.
Bottomline is, Yeng Guiao is a winner in sports and in life.
He can be replaced, but his shoes will never be filled.
So why did NLEX, a franchise on the cusp of doing something great, turn its back on the mentor who brought them to a high level of respectability in a league partly dominated by two of its more loved and more favored sister-teams?
Guiao, a man of deep insight, spoke to me on the phone the other night and told me he had no clue why the cord was suddenly severed.
But NLEX, a private entity that bears no responsibility or obligation to explain its actions to the public, wisely decided to only let a vague prepared statement speak for itself.
Yeng Guiao turns down a corporate position and looks to continue coaching.
THUS, WE ARE LEFT TO SPECULATE.
My guess is that NLEX divorced Guiao because the team felt it didn't deserve coach Yeng after undercutting him so many times.
They traded Poy Erram and a draft pick that yielded Mikey Williams to the MVP mothership, TNT Tropang Giga.
They allowed franchise cornerstone Kiefer Ravena to flee to the Japan B League.
And they let Jericho Cruz jump over the fence and collaborate with rival SMC group.
All these consented poaching left Guiao with a knife to a sword fight. And NLEX allegedly did him dirty, too.
Sources told me that during a Zoom meeting to discuss giving away a prized pick three months before the 2021 draft, Guiao allegedly lost his signal and went dark.
Wink, wink.
All of the above poor player personnel decisions handicapped NLEX and caused the downward spiral in team performance. But instead of looking in the mirror for blame the stiffs in suits are conveniently suggesting Guiao is at fault.
HENCE, THE "AMICABLE" PARTING OF WAYS.
To somehow make him whole, NLEX offered Yeng a cushy high-paying job with a standard issue mahogany desk and a leather swivel executive chair.
Independently wealthy, Guiao declined and chose happiness over financial convenience.
All that corporate fluff is not his jam.
"I want to coach, to teach. I have a lot left to give to the game." said the 63-year old Guiao.
So where does he go from here?
"I'll explore my options, see what's best out there for me."
There should be plenty. I can think of seven PBA teams that need to hang a "coach wanted" sign on the front door right now.
Yeng Guiao isn't just a coach. He is a trusted brand name, a national treasure.
It doesn't happen often when an asset like him becomes available. And I'm eager to discover which team is the smartest and quickest to pounce on the opportunity.
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