Is a reunion between Tab Baldwin and the New Zealand Tall Blacks imminent?
According to Marc Hinton of The Post, Basketball New Zealand is currently interviewing candidates for the vacant Tall Blacks head coach position, and Tab Baldwin’s name has emerged as a potential applicant.
Baldwin has previously stated that his contract with Ateneo de Manila University will end following the conclusion of UAAP Season 88.
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“Basketball New Zealand could not confirm the identities of applicants for the job, and Baldwin did not respond to The Post’s query about his interest in a potential return. However, well-placed sources have confirmed that he has expressed interest.”
Hinton adds, “It’s understood that Baldwin, having observed veteran coaches Brian Goorjian (Australia), Svetislav Pešić (Serbia), and Vincent Collet (France) at the Paris Olympics, has been inspired to consider a return to the international arena.”
Baldwin began his career in the Philippines as a consultant to Chot Reyes from 2013 to 2014. He later became the head coach but left the position after the Olympic Qualifying Tournament, returning to Ateneo.
Baldwin rejoined the Gilas Pilipinas program during the pandemic but was unexpectedly replaced by Reyes in early 2022.
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With Ateneo, Baldwin won four UAAP championships and developed numerous players who have achieved success both internationally and in the PBA.
Other candidates for the head coach position, currently held by Pero Cameron, include Judd Flavell, who recently led the Canterbury Rams to back-to-back NBL titles, and Michael Fitchett, former head coach of the Nelson Giants.
Basketball New Zealand has begun its search for the new head coach. If Baldwin’s return to the Tall Blacks materializes, it would mark a reunion with the program he helped build in 2001.
Baldwin, revered in Kiwi basketball and inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2023, could bring his extensive experience back to the team.
Ateneo will open the UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball tournament against UP on Saturday.
