After six years, Jose Rizal University and head coach Louie Gonzalez have parted ways.
Gonzalez and his coaching staff will not be returning to the Heavy Bombers come NCAA Season 101 after their contracts were bought out, multiple sources confirmed to Tiebreaker Times.
Gonzalez, who also serves as the president of the Basketball Coaches Association of the Philippines, joined JRU in NCAA Season 95 following a one-season stint as the head coach of De La Salle University.
During his five-season tenure with the Heavy Bombers, Gonzalez posted a 27-54 win-loss record.
JRU’s closest bid for a Final Four appearance came in NCAA Season 99, when they ended the season with a 10-8 record, good for sixth place.
Tiebreaker Times reached out to Gonzalez for a statement, but he had not responded as of publishing.
According to multiple sources familiar with the matter, the Heavy Bombers will now be under new management, led by officials from the MPBL team Abra Weavers.
The Weavers also played a significant role in supporting Mapua University during its championship campaign in the NCAA Season 100 Seniors Basketball Tournament.
Abra is looking to manage both teams just like how Strong Group is helping both College of Saint Benilde and Colegio de San Juan de Letran.
This managerial shift comes as a timely boost for JRU, which is looking to end its eight-year Final Four drought and break a 53-year championship dry spell in the seniors division.
