Rain or Shine has bid goodbye to one of its pioneers as assistant coach Rob Wainwright has left the organization he helped build.
The cager-turned-mentor has decided to leave the Elasto Painters to focus more on a family business endeavor, according to head coach Chris Gavina.
“Coach Rob made a difficult decision to be more involved in a family business venture,” he wrote in a message to Tiebreaker Times, Saturday.
Wainwright, 47, was one of the Asian Coatings-owned franchise’s original members when it entered the PBA in 2006 under the Welcoat banner.
He played for the club until 2009, and was part of the RoS crew that reached the 2008-09 Fiesta Conference – the team’s first-ever semis trip.
A direct hire of Sta. Lucia in 2000, the Fil-Am forward also suited up for Shell and Coca-Cola before hanging it up with Barako Bull in 2011.
Wainwright went on to venture into coaching, first with the Saigon Heat of the ABL in 2012. Then he signed as an assistant with KIA two years later.
That’s where he and Gavina would cross paths as the latter took over the head coaching reins when Sen. Manny Pacquiao left.
Both, though, were eventually out of the franchise not long after.
But as fate would have it, Wainwright would see himself back to RoS when Gavina brought him in upon taking over the head coaching job last March.
However, the reunion would only last for a while – eight months, to be exact – now that the native of Vallejo, California has left.
Still, Gavina and Co. support his decision.
“We support his decision and wish him nothing but the best of luck and thank him for his effort and sharing his passion for the game to us,” he wrote.
The Elasto Painters have also expressed their gratitude to Wainwright through social media on Saturday afternoon.
“Thank you, Coach Rob Wainwright! You will always be part of the Bayan ng ROS family as a former player and coach,” it said.
“We wish you the best of luck in your business endeavors.”
Asked if someone would fill in the spot Wainwright vacated in the coaching staff, Gavina said that they will announce it soon.
“Our new assistant coach will be announced by our social media advocate shortly.”
