NEW NLEX head coach Jong Uichico just endeared himself to the team's coaching staff. Why? It's because he does not plan to terminate their services and bring in a new team which usually is standard when a new coach takes over.
Uichico reportedly met with the entire coaching staff and key NLEX management officials last week where he disclosed that the composition of the team bench will remain intact.
COLUMN: Did Frankie Lim step down or was he pushed out the door?
Veteran Adonis Tierra will stay with the franchise along with young deputies Borgie Hermida and Emman Monfort.
JB Sison and Melo Lim, who were hired by Frankie Lim when he took over in 2022, will also stay, SPIN.ph learned from sources within the league.
Lim was dismissed after the last conference, the Philippine Cup, where NLEX made the quarterfinals by placing sixth. It was, however, eliminated by sister team Meralco which went on to win the championship - its first since entering the PBA 14 years ago.
A person privy to the meeting said the 61-year-old Uichico won’t be bringing any person at the moment to become part of his staff.
“Sa ngayon wala,” said the source.
The stint marks the return of Uichico to a head-coaching position in Asia’s oldest professional basketba league following his stint with TNT from 2014-2016.
He is a nine-time PBA champion coach, the last of which came during the 2015 Commissioner’s Cup when TNT beat Rain or Shine in the deciding Game 7 of the finals.
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