CHRIS Gavina knows that bringing University of the East back to UAAP title relevance is by no means an easy task, but he’s more than up to the challenge stating that he’s “embracing it with a growth mindset.”
Gavina will look to push the Red Warriors over-the-top this time around after a promising UAAP Season 87 ended in heartbreak for the title-starved school based in Recto.
For it to happen, the 46-year-old mentor shared that it starts with building a strong culture within the team.
READ: Gavina unfazed with uncertainties regarding top players’ future with UE
“Leading UE is an exciting new chapter, and my approach will be centered on building a strong culture of courage, accountability, discipline, respect and relentless effort,” he said.
“Developing a winning mentality starts with instilling the right habits in our players, both on and off the court.”
He won’t be doing it alone as he’ll be bringing in the big guns in this ‘exciting new chapter.’
Decorated PBA guard Alex Cabagnot is one of the assistant coaches for this fresh start for the Red Warriors, renewing his partnership with the Fil-Am mentor.
The two are longtime friends and were last together with the Taiwan Mustangs.
They also worked hand-in-hand as Fil-Nation Select USA became the first international team to claim the Division 1 crown in the 2024 Smart-NBTC National Finals.
Cabagnot is no stranger to the UAAP, with the Converge playmaker previously being enlisted as an assistant in University of the Philippines back in 2016 under Bo Perasol.
Gavina also enlisted familiar faces in Recto in ex-Red Warriors Paulo Hubalde and Nino Canaleta coming back home to their alma mater.
RJ Argamino, longtime UE deputy Melvin Reyes, and strength and conditioning coach Carlo de Dios complete the staff, although the new UE coach said that he’s looking at the possibility of adding more to his crew.
Together, they will look to live up to the rich tradition that the Red Warriors foster, a school which owns 18 UAAP men’s basketball crowns although their last came way back in 1985 when legends Allan Caidic and Jerry Codinera were still wearing the red-and-whites.
To him, it’s all about bringing that vigor back to the long suffering program and rebuilding that pride to keep UE as competitive as it can be – one that he admittedly is foreign to him after previously handling professional teams like Rain or Shine and Mahindra in the PBA in the past.
“This challenge is different because UE has a rich history and a passionate community that truly loves basketball. My role is to channel that energy into a program that competes at the highest level,” he said.
“It’s about establishing a foundation where mental toughness, hard work, resilience, and teamwork define who we are. It won’t happen overnight, but with the right mindset, buy-in and commitment from our team, we’ll push this program forward and make Red Warriors fans proud.”
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