CHARLES Tiu is set to take charge at PBA ballclub Phoenix.
Multiple sources contacted by SPIN.ph pointed to Tiu as the top choice to become the next mentor of the Fuel Masters, who failed to make the playoffs for the fifth consecutive conference.
Management has yet to make a formal announcement on the matter, although there are ramblings within the team about the impending coaching change.
Phoenix won't return to practice until Jan. 19 yet.
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On the other hand, former La Salle guard and PBA player TY Tang is set to take the place of Tiu as coach of the Blazers in the NCAA.
The news was relayed by no less than Benilde's chief benefactor Frank Lao, who confirmed that he had given Tiu his blessings on the Phoenix transfer.
At the same time, Lao denied rumors that he is set to bankroll the Fuel Masters' campaign in the PBA.
The Fuel Masters limped home to a 3-8 record in the season-opening conference under new coach Willy Wilson.
Sources however, have yet to determine where Wilson is going, considering the player- turned coach has a contract that is good until May. One source bared the plan is for Wilson to stay on as assistant coach.
Tiu of course is no stranger to PBA coaching. The younger brother of former Rain or Shine guard Chris Tiu once served as deputy coach of Meralco and later with Converge.
He's also the head coach of Benilde and Strong Group Athletics, which he has led to international championships in Dubai. - Gerry Ramos
How Choco Mucho won Laure bidding war
The bidding war for Eya Laure was anything but quiet before the Alas Pilipinas spiker ultimately chose Choco Mucho as her new PVL home.
While the Rebisco-owned Flying Titans emerged as the eventual winners, the closing stretch of the Laure sweepstakes saw several interested teams left scrambling as negotiations tightened.
SPIN.ph learned that Laure’s options were trimmed down to three PVL teams, with their final offers separated only by small margins.
At one point, a league insider disclosed that the former Chery Tiggo standout was left to choose among Cignal, Akari and Choco Mucho.
Cignal was believed to have put forward a final offer in the vicinity of P580,000 per month, a strong bid that briefly kept the Super Spikers firmly in the race.
Choco Mucho, sources said, started its pursuit with initial offers reportedly around the P300,000 range. As competition intensified, the Flying Titans doubled their offer to P600,000.
Surging late in the process was the Akari stable, which reportedly tabled a P620,000 monthly offer.
Had Laure opted for Akari, there would have been the choice of suiting up either for the Chargers or sister team Nxled, where her sister EJ Laure is currently playing.
In the end, negotiations culminated with Choco Mucho matching Akari’s P620,000 offer.
Laure ultimately chose the Flying Titans, swayed by a combination of factors beyond just salary.
Among them was the prospect of a mini–University of Santo Tomas reunion, as she is set to team up with fellow España products Sisi Rondina, Caitlin Viray and Alina Bicar.
That blend of familiarity, fit and financial commitment proved decisive in convincing Laure to don purple for the 2026 PVL season. - John Mark Garcia
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