Gilas Pilipinas head coach Yeng Guiao expressed utmost confidence in his assistant coach Sandy Arespacochaga following the latter’s appointment as the new chief mentor of the Batang Gilas program just recently.
“I feel that he’s an excellent choice.”
Guiao said that Arespacochaga’s vast experience as a coach makes him suitable for the job.
Arespacochaga has been with the Ateneo Blue Eagles as an assistant for nearly two decades now. He has helped the program win eight UAAP titles, and served as deputy to the likes of Joel Banal, Norman Black, and Tab Baldwin.
The youthful head coach currently serves as an assistant coach to Bong Ravena with the TNT KaTropa. But he’s already had stints in the PBA – first with Black in the Meralco Bolts, then with Guiao in the Road Warriors around last season.
“He has enough understanding of the high school and college game, and at the same time has a vast experience in the professional league.
“He’s able to bridge that gap – that transition of the players coming in from junior ranks, college ranks, all the way up to the professional league,” Guiao said.
Guiao also noted that Arespacochaga has been exposed to the coaching styles of his and former Gilas head coach Baldwin, which would greatly benefit Arespacochaga in developing the young flagbearers.
“He’s seen both sides, yung coaching style ni coach Tab and my coaching style, and the international game and the local game. So that really gives him a really good perspective on how to develop these young players,” he said.
But more than the experience, Guiao said that it is Arespacochaga’s premium on fundamentals that will steer the program moving forward.
“I guess the strong suit of coach Sandy is very fundamental yung style niya. That’s why it’s really a good background for young guys to be under him, because they will be fundamentally sound under his mentorship.”
