A decorated Canadian coach from the Japanese professional ranks is set to become the next head coach of Gilas Pilipinas Women.
Burke “BT” Toews has been tapped by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas to lead the Philippine women’s national basketball team, the federation announced on Wednesday.
“The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas announces the hiring of Burke ‘BT’ Toews as the head coach of Gilas Pilipinas Women,” the federation said in its statement.
“After months of searching across continents and with more than a dozen applicants, the SBP selected a Canadian coach based in Japan to lead the squad, which currently ranks 30th in the world according to FIBA.”
(C) Fujitsu
Toews, 60, served as a coach for one of Japan’s top professional teams, Fujitsu, since 2014. He first worked as an assistant coach from 2014 to 2016 before taking over as head coach from 2018 to 2025.
During his tenure with the Red Wave, Toews guided the team to back-to-back W League titles in the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons, while also capturing the Empress Cup crown in 2024-25.
He parted ways with Fujitsu after completing the championship double, citing the need for a change of scenery.
Prior to his stint with Fujitsu, Toews also coached at the University of Winnipeg, Canadian Academy High School, as well as B.League teams Hyogo, Shibuya, and Toyama.
He is also the father of Kai Toews, a mainstay for Japan’s national team, the Akatsuki Five.
Toews takes over from Patrick Aquino, who had been at the helm of the Gilas Women program since 2015.
