ALEX Compton is still calling the shots for Alaska in the PBA Philippine Cup.
No less than Alaska owner Wilfred Uytengsu made the clarification on Friday, just after SPIN.ph ran a story that the multi-titled franchise has tapped longtime head deputy Jeffrey Cariaso to take the place of Compton.
Talk of Compton's exit spread after the Aces lost a fifth straight appearance in a PBA Finals under his watch, and his absence from practices and official team functions bolstered rumors of a coaching change.
However, Uytengsu explained that Compton is only "attending to an important family matter in the US" and Cariaso is running the Aces practice in his absence.
Asked if former Ginebra coach Cariaso is currently acting head coach, Uytengsu said: "Jeff is performing duties as the head assistant coach. We do not have a designation of an acting head coach."
Cariaso will still be running training when the Aces hold an open-door practice for its fans at the Gatorade Hoops Center along Shaw Boulevard in Mandaluyong beginning at 1 p.m.
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