San Beda University has tapped one of its products to be its next head coach.
The Red Lions named Yuri Escueta as their new chief tactician on Tuesday evening.
The appointment came after a meeting between Red Lions team manager Jude Roque and team booster Manny V. Pangilinan.
“Yuri Escueta is the new head coach of the San Beda Red Lions.
“A former San Beda juniors standout and a proud Coach Ato Badolato protégé, Yuri returns to his high school alma mater with a rich basketball coaching knowledge gained from several outstanding tacticians from his college days to his various coaching stints as an assistant coach for Ateneo, Gilas, and TNT,” said Roque.
Escueta started his coaching career serving as an assistant coach in Ateneo and TNT. There, he has been under the likes of Norman Black, Tab Baldwin, and Chot Reyes.
Ateneo also gave him his own team, guiding Team Glory Be to two Fr. Martin crowns and two Got Skills Championships. He also led Ateneo’s Team B to the top of the 2019 Macau College Invitational.
Now, he gets to coach an A-team.
Also back in San Beda will be former head coach Boyet Fernandez as an active consultant.
During his first seven years in San Beda – first from 2013-14 and, later on, 2017-22 – Fernandez compiled an 86-13 record in the elimination round and 16-4 slate in the post-season.
He steered the school to four NCAA Seniors Basketball crowns.
Serving as assistant coaches for the team are former Red Lions Manu Inigo, Jenkins Mesina, Alex Angeles, and Francis Cruz, along with former Ateneo player Andre Santos.
San Beda will compete in the 2022 Filoil Ecooil Preseason Cup.
