FABIO Menta’s stint with the University of the Philippines lasted just one season.
The Italian mentor announced his retirement from coaching, effectively vacating his post as Fighting Maroons head coach after a challenging UAAP Season 88 campaign that saw him and his wards finish with a 5-9 record in sixth-place.
“It’s time to retire,” Menta wrote in a Facebook post.
His lone season in Diliman was riddled with difficulties both on and off the court.
Menta missed State U's final two matches against Adamson and University of Santo Tomas due to medical concerns, with assistant coach and protege Aleksi Lahteenmaki taking over during that stretch.
READ: UP explains Fabio Menta absence in Maroons' must-win match
In his post, Menta admitted the physical toll eventually became too much to handle.
“It surely is for my body in this not simple moment of my life. I did not recover yet from the medical problems that force me to miss the last 2 UAAP matches against Adamson and UST. And that added to my previous problems,” he said.
State U ultimately fell short of a Final Four return after an inconsistent run that nonetheless saw flashes of promise from the rebuilding squad.
UP's fight for long-term coaching
Despite stepping down from the sidelines, Menta clarified that he will remain involved with the UP program in a different capacity.
“UP will soon choose a new Head Coach for Season 89. I will still assist and support the Program for the next months by selecting the proper talents for the future,” he wrote.
With this development, the Fighting Maroons will have their sixth shot-caller since 2018 - or since Godfrey Okumu was in his first year on the job.
Succeeding him were Shaq delos Santos, Oliver Almadro, Benson Bocboc, and Menta.
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