Turo Valenzona

Arturo F. Valenzona (born November 5, 1942), also known as Turo Valenzona, is a former Filipino basketball player and head coach.

Valenzona played college ball for the Far Eastern University before eventually playing in the Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association and later in the Philippine Basketball Association with U/Tex.

Coaching career

After his playing years, Valenzona has coached the FEU Tamaraws to several championships in the UAAP and the Intercollegiate tournament. He gave Solidmills one interclub and one MICAA title and he led APCOR to six straight championships. Turo was also coach of the RP Youth team in 1978 and 1980. He assisted coach Nic Jorge during the 1978 Bangkok Asian Games.

In the PBA, Turo became head coach of Gilbey's Gin at the start of the 1982 season, replacing Nemie Villegas, he led Gilbey's to three runner-up finishes from 1982-1984. The following year, the La Tondeña ballclub decided to replaced him but Turo was soon back at the bench when Tanduay offered him a coaching job later that year, replacing Orly Castelo. In 1986, Coach Turo Valenzona had a memorable year, leading Tanduay Rhum Makers to their first PBA title and two straight championships. He added another title when the Rhum Makers went home with the Open Conference title in 1987.

He moved to the Hills Bros bench in the third conference of the 1987 PBA season and led the Coffee Kings to a runner-up finish. Aside from the PBA, he simultaneously coached a commercial ballclubs in the PABL, first with Golden Rice Cereals in late 1984, and later on with Hope Cigarettes, RFM-Swift's and the comebacking Crispa 400 in 1989.

Valenzona led the collegiate team San Sebastian College to four consecutive men's basketball championships in the NCAA from 1993-1996.^[1] He was the first president of the Basketball Coaches Association of the Philippines in the 1990s.

References