Paolo Hubalde made the long trip from De La Salle Zobel in Alabang to the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay on Saturday, going straight from coaching the University of the East junior high school team to taking over as interim head coach of the Red Warriors on Saturday.
Hubalde had just led UE to an 84-76 victory over Ateneo de Manila University in the UAAP 16-and-under basketball tournament earlier in the day before making the trip to Pasay for the Red Warriors’ third game in the men’s basketball tournament.
He stepped in for Chris Gavina, who resigned from his post after UE opened the season with two losses on Friday.
Gavina was not present when the Red Warriors faced the Far Eastern University Tamaraws.
(C) UAAP Season 89 Media Team
The 16U head coach was tasked with handling the reins of the senior team on an interim basis, making it his second game of the day.
The Junior Red Warriors currently sit second in the UAAP 16U tournament with a 4-1 record.
(C) UAAP Season 89 Media Team
Gavina, meanwhile, coached just 12 games for UE. He handled 10 games in Season 88, his first year with the Red Warriors, before serving a four-game suspension following an expletive-filled rant that was deemed conduct unbecoming of a coach.
UE opened Season 89 with a 101-74 loss to Ateneo before suffering a 76-56 defeat to National University.
Gavina landed the Red Warriors’ head coaching job ahead of Josh Reyes and was tasked with turning around a UE program that had struggled in recent seasons.
