CONVERGE officially named Aldin Ayo as its new coach to call the shots for the rookie team starting in the PBA Commissioner's Cup.
The FiberXers released a formal statement Wednesday night welcoming Ayo as its next coach, replacing Jeff Cariaso.
His assumption of the coaching reins came just a day after the FiberXers parted ways with Jeff Cariaso, who guided the franchise to the playoffs in its very first conference in the league before being eliminated by defending champion TNT.
[See Aldin Ayo getting big break as new Converge coach]
“The PBA is a challenge that every coach on the rise dreams of taking on. We are confident that coach Ayo’s nose and instinct for the game’s nuances will transform the FiberXers’ brand of play into a consistently competitive and exciting kind worthy of the Filipino fans’ approval and following,” said team governor Chito Salud.
Team owner Dennis Uy and Salud both expressed gratitude to Cariaso for guiding Converge in its initial foray in the league, but at the same time, looks forward on what Ayo can actually bring to the table.
[See Cariaso accepts fate with 'utmost respect']
"We've had the chance to discuss the direction of our team and the vision that we have regarding our brand of play. We have young players wth energy and potential who are ready to compete as a team still finding chemistry and its identity," said Uy.
"We believe coach Ayo has the background to develop these players into an exciting and cohesive unit."
It will be the first PBA head coaching job for the 44-year-old Ayo, who steered Letran to the NCAA title in 2015 and La Salle to the UAAP championship in 2016, but previously served as one of the deputy coaches of the KIA franchise during its early years.
Although initial talks between Ayo and Converge management were held, the champion coach denied on Tuesday that he had accepted the job as he still had to consult his ailing mother about the matter.
But in the statement, Ayo disclosed it was his mother who convinced him to take on the coaching offer.
"I talked to her last night (Tuesday). And this morning, she told me 'Gusto kita makita mag-coach sa PBA.' She said she doesn't want to see me just sitting around the house," Ayo said.