PETRO Gazz head coach Koji Tsuzurabara is set to leave the team just three months after winning the 2024-25 PVL All-Filipino Conference championship.
SPIN.ph got wind of the shock news, which was confirmed by multiple sources closely monitoring the development.
“He has started talking about leaving the team,” said a source who requested anonymity.
“It seems he’s leaving.”
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Another unimpeachable source added that the champion coach made a ‘sudden decision to quit.’
Under his leadership, the Angels became the first local team in the league's pro era to defeat Creamline in a PVL Finals after Chery Tiggo in the 2021 Open Conference.
The 60-year-old Japanese mentor reached the podium twice in three conferences as Angels head coach — bronze in his debut campaign in the 2024 All-Filipino Conference before finishing sixth in import-laden play and subsequently winning the PVL crown.
Prior to his PVL debut in January last year, Tsuzurabara struck gold with Petro Gazz in the 2024 PNVF Champions League by sweeping Cignal in the knockout finale.
Tsuzurabara has compiled an impressive 35-15 (win-loss) record at Petro Gazz, including the ongoing 2025 PVL on Tour, where the Angels have lost three of their first four matches sans Alas Pilipinas-bound MVP duo Brooke Van Sickle and MJ Phillips.
His last tour of duty was in Ilagan City where Petro Gazz suffered a stunning 23-25, 21-25, 23-25 loss to Farm Fresh.
The Angels’ title-winning tactician will go down as only the second foreign PVL head coach to win a championship for a local team after Thai Tai Bundit, who won three titles with Creamline.
Tsuzurabara is expected to fly back to Japan on Thursday, meaning he will no longer be around for the Angels' final pool match against Choco Mucho on July 29 at the Candon City Arena.
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