Chot Reyes
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Vincent "Chot" Reyes is a Filipino basketball head coach of the San Miguel Beermen in the Philippine Basketball Association, and for the Philippine national basketball team or "Team Pilipinas". Reyes also had a post for the now-defunct Metropolitan Basketball Association in 1998.
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[edit] Professional coaching career
He was one of Tim Cone's assistant coach during the early-90's with the Alaska Milkmen. In 1993, Reyes was hired head coach of the Coney Island Ice Cream Stars, now known as the Purefoods Chunkee Giants. In his first conference, he led the Ice Cream Stars led by Alvin Patrimonio and Jerry Codinera to a 4-2 series win over the San Miguel Beermen to win the All-Filipino Conference, creating history by being the youngest coach to win a championship in his first tournament at age 29. This feat led him to win his first Coach-of-the-Year award. In 1994, he again led the Purefoods Oodles team to the Commissioners Cup title over the Alaska Milkmen, with Kenny Redfield as import.
Reyes spent two more seasons with the Purefoods franchise before he was hired in 1997 by the Sta. Lucia Realtors. That year, he led the Realtors to a third place finish in the All-Filipino and two respectable fourth place finishes in the Commissioner and Governors Cup.
However, he left the team in 1998 to join the newly-formed Metropolitan Basketball Association. During his short time, he introduced some innovative, yet criticized rules such as the Free-Three, the 23-second shot clock and the eight second backcourt rule. Two years later, however, FIBA adopted the eight second backcourt rule which is in effect today, both for the international and pro game. After a while, he became the assistant coach for Tim Cone for the Philippine Centennial Team that went home with the bronze medal in the 1998 Asian Games.
In 2000, Reyes became the new head coach of the Pop Cola Panthers, spending two seasons there. After a frustrating first season, he led the Panthers to a third-place finish in the 2001 All-Filipino Cup, with a rebuilt lineup of Rudy Hatfield, Johnny Abarrientos and Poch Juinio. But, the Pop Cola franchise was sold to food conglomerate San Miguel Corporation and was renamed as the Coca Cola Tigers. The SMC management retained Reyes as coach and that year he led a Tigers team, depleted with the injuries of Abarrientos and Jeffrey Cariaso, to the 2002 PBA All-Filipino title - again creating history by being the first team in the PBA's 28-year existence to win a title in its rookie year. Again, this feat led to Reyes' winning his second PBA Coach-of-the Year award. In 2003, he led Coke to three successive Finals appearances, winning the Reinforced Conference championship with Artemus McClary as import. This in turn led to his third Coach-of-the-Year award, thus becoming the only coach to win 3 COY awards thus far.
[edit] Team Pilipinas
After the PBA and the Basketball Association of the Philippines agreed to a memorandum, the PBA hired Reyes as the coach of Team Pilipinas, a team composed of several professional and collegiate players. Reyes started the program in 2005, leading Team Pilipinas to a fifth place finish in the FIBA-Asia Champions Cup, third-place in the William Jones Cup and the title in the 2005 Brunei Sultan Cup.
However, the current suspension of the national team by FIBA has hindered the preparation of the team. But, Reyes currently maintains the program, continuing to add several players in the national pool.
In the 2006 William Jones Cup, Team Pilipinas finished a dismal sixth place in the tournament. It was due to the lack of the available players the team had as most PBA players declined their invitation to participate due to the uncertainty brought about by the FIBA suspension. Instead, incoming pros L.A. Tenorio, Joseph Yeo, Abby and Arwind Santos and several PBA players played in the Jones Cup squad. With the return of his core players to the national team, however, Reyes led Team Pilipinas to a 2-game sweep of Lebanon, which beat Venezuela and France in the 2006 World Championships in Japan. Reyes' team then went on the defend its title in the 2006 Brunei Sultan Cup via rare 7-game sweep.
After the Brunei Cup, Team Pilipinas was left for a while awaiting the lifting of the FIBA suspension that was handed down since 2005. However, with the approval of the BAP-Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas as the new national sport association for basketball in the country, Reyes returned as the coach of the national squad.
[edit] PBA Coaching Return
Early in the PBA season, he was rumored to be the next head coach of the Talk N' Text Phone Pals but in the end, the PLDT owned franchise hired Derrick Pumaren instead.
Reyes was rumored as the successor to Tim Cone after a report of Cone's possible departure as Alaska head coach. On August 3, Reyes was named as the new head coach of the San Miguel Beermen, replacing Jong Uichico, who was moved to sister team Barangay Ginebra.
After an 0-3 start in the PBA Philippine Cup, Reyes coached the Beermen to a 13-5 win-loss card and a semifinals appearance in the tournament. Under his system, Reyes has implied a running game for San Miguel, a take-away from the half-court sets used during Uichico's time with the Beermen from 1999-2006.
With the national team reactivated, Reyes will leave SMB duties to his assistant Biboy Ravanes for the 2007 PBA Fiesta Conference.
[edit] Outside of Coaching
Prior to his participation as coach, Reyes worked for Purefoods Corporation in a corporate setting before being hired by Cone as Alaska's assistant. In 2003, Reyes established coachcom.inc, an executive and coaching company that helps developing coaching aspects in sports and in other fields such as business.
He has also appeared as a color commentator for Vintage Sports and the PBA on ABC coverage. During his time as Purefoods head coach, he would appear in several coverages as a guest colleague, a time when Vintage practices inviting PBA coaches and assistants to do commentary. At some time in 2005 and 2006, Reyes appeared for ABC Sports as a pre-game, halftime and post-game analyst during a game in two finals series.
[edit] Trivia
- After Reyes won the All-Filipino Cup in his first conference as coach in 1993, two more coaches from the Purefoods franchise achieved the same feat. In 1997, Eric Altamirano won the All-Filipino Cup in his first conference as coach while current Giants head coach Ryan Gregorio, acting as coach for Altamirano that year, won the 2002 Governors Cup in his first conference as an acting head coach.
- Reyes' first championship with the Tigers was held on Christmas day 2002.
- He is known for his unique fashion sense wearing casual long sleeves while coaching the PBA instead of the usual uniform-like polo.
[edit] External links
| Preceded by Ely Capacio |
Purefoods Head Coach 1993-96 |
Succeeded by Eric Altamirano |
| Preceded by Norman Black |
Pop Cola/Swift/Sunkist Head Coach 2000-01 |
Succeeded by none |
| Preceded by none |
Coca-Cola Tigers Head Coach 2002-04 |
Succeeded by Biboy Ravanes |
| Preceded by Jong Uichico |
San Miguel Beermen Head Coach 2006-Present |
Succeeded by incumbent |
