Ryan Gregorio

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Ryan Paul Gregorio is a Filipino professional basketball head coach for the Purefoods Chunkee Giants in the Philippine Basketball Association. He is also a former player and coach for the UP Fighting Maroons in the UAAP, before coaching in the pro league in 2002. He is also a color commentator for Studio 23 on its UAAP broadcast.

[edit] Career

Prior to his coaching chores with Purefoods, Gregorio was a former player and coach of the UP Fighting Maroons in the UAAP and was an assistant coach of Eric Altarimano with Purefoods.

However, in 2002, Altamirano was hired as an assistant coach for the Philippine national basketball team and Gregorio was named as the interim coach of the TJ Hotdogs. Under Gregorio's hands, Purefoods won the 2002 Govenors Cup with a 4-3 series victory over the Alaska Aces. The team was paraded by imports Derrick Brown, Kelvin Price and Best Player of the Conference winner Rey Evangelista. Gregorio coached the team to a dismal performance in the Commissioners Cup before Altarimano regained coaching duties in the All-Filipino Cup. Despite this Gregorio was rewarded, along with Coca Cola Tigers mentor Chot Reyes as co-winner of the PBA Press Corps Coach of the Year Award.

In 2003, Gregorio became the full-time head coach of Purefoods, after Altamirano was tasked to head the San Miguel All-Stars team. In his first season as full-time coach, the TJ Hotdogs won only nine games that year, the worst performance of any team during the season.

In the 2004-05 season, Gregorio coached a Purefoods team, retooled with amateur stars James Yap, Paul Artadi and the vastly improving Kerby Raymundo. Despite Purefoods' sorry stint in the 2004 Fiesta Conference, Purefoods went on to finish two quarterfinals' stints in the Philippine Cup and the 2005 Fiesta Conference.

The 2005-06 PBA season would be Gregorio's finest season yet, he led the Purefoods Chunkee Giants to two finals appearance, a runner-up finish in the 2005-06 Fiesta Conference and is currently leading the series against Red Bull in the Philippine Cup Finals. 3-1. Under his coaching, Yap won the PBA MVP Award, Marc Pingris won the Most Improved Player honors, and Kerby Raymundo and Roger Yap made it to the Mythical Five selection.He once again lead his team to his 2nd Championship in the last 4 years as the Purefoods Chunkee Giants on the 2006 PBA Gran Matador ALL Filipino Cup.

Aside from coaching and doing sports broadcasts, Gregorio enjoys spending quality time with his family. A son of UP System Vice President for Administration Martin Gregorio, he is married to Jin Gregorio and has 2 children: Ysabelle and Ramon Jose.