MACAU – It appears the coaching job of Gilas Pilipinas for the coming 30th Southeast Asian Games is for Tim Cone to take.
Top management of San Miguel Beer has given the multi-titled mentor the go signal to look into the offer of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) to handle the men’s basketball team when it defends its SEA Games gold medal in the Nov. 30 to Dec. 11 biennial meet.
San Miguel Corp. sports director Alfrancis Chua confirmed the company’s all-out support to the SBP’s plan to have Cone coached Gilas in the wake of the resignation of former national coach Yeng Guiao.
“Basta para sa bayan, full support kami ng Boss Ramon Ang ko,” said Chua in a short but meaningful message to SPIN.ph from Manila, referring to the supportive SMC president and CEO.
The SMC consent obviously opened the line of communication between Cone and the SBP as the Barangay Ginebra mentor admitted Saturday that he’s already in talks with federation president Al S. Panlilio.
But Cone, the only coach who owns two grand slams in the PBA, said his focus right now is on the Kings’ debut game against Alaska in the season-ending Governors Cup on Sunday.
The American coach added talks with Panlilio will resume by Monday after he gets to talk to his family about getting another shot at handling the national team.
Cone called the shots for the Philippine Centennial Team in the 1998 Asian Games in Thailand ,where the Filipinos won the bronze medal in his first and only stint as coach of the men’s national squad.
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