LA Salle men’s basketball team patron Eduardo ‘Danding’ Cojuangco has promoted Louie Gonzalez as head coach of the Green Archers.
Gonzalez shared on his social media account a Facebook post of Archers’ Clubhouse that stated he was appointed as coach of La Salle on Friday night at a meeting at the San Miguel Corp. office.
A source confirmed such meeting and appointment by Cojuangco occurred after Aldin Ayo decided not to return as head coach of the Green Archers last week.
Gonzalez will have veteran coach Glenn Capacio as an assistant.
Gonzalez has yet to respond to messages by SPIN.ph for confirmation.
Gonzalez served La Salle as Ayo's lead assistant in a successful two-year stint that saw the Green Archers win the UAAP Season 79 title before falling short in a finals rematch with Ateneo in Season 80.
Ayo also had Gonzalez when he steered Letran to the 2015 NCAA title. Both men share a deeper bond as Gonzalez and Ayo first teamed up in Letran during the 1990s, with the latter serving as assistant coach to Binky Favis while the latter played for the Knights. The assistant coach was also instrumental in taking the star player out of the hospital to play in the NCAA finals opener, where Ayo hit the game-winner and the Knights eventually won the title in 1999.
Both men have been like brothers ever since, being part of the same team up until the end of UAAP Season 80.
Reports said Ayo is heading to University of Santo Tomas to accept a head coaching job with the Growling Tigers. Apparently, Gonzalez and Capacio will not be joining him following the appointment of Cojuangco.
Miggy Solitaria and McJour Luib are said to be also heading to UST to join Ayo in the Growling Tigers.
Gonzalez also had assistant coaching stints with the KIA and GlobalPort in the PBA, Philippine Patriots in the Asean Basketball League, and Far Eastern University in the UAAP.
Gonzalez is currently the secretary-general of the Basketball Coaches Association of the Philippines (BCAP) and a national program coordinator for the Philippine Sports Commission’s Philippine Sports Institute (PSI).
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