Wanting a program that will keep going, newly-minted Batang Gilas mentor Sandy Arespacochaga tapped some of the country’s top young coaches to supervise the country’s youth teams.
According to multiple sources closely monitoring the situation, Arespacochaga will have Charles Tiu, Goldwin Monteverde, Ryan Betia, Anton Altamirano, and JB Sison as his staff for the upcoming 2019 FIBA Under-19 World Cup in Greece and, later on, the FIBA Under-16 Asian Championship.
To further boost the program, Arespacochaga split duties for his staff for the Under-19 and Under-17 programs.
Taking the lead for the Under-19 team are Tiu, Monteverde, and Betia.
Though just 30 years young, Tiu has a wealth of experience under his belt. He started off his coaching career by serving as an apprentice to former Gilas Pilipinas head coach Rajko Toroman. Tiu would then become assistant to fellow Xaverian TY Tang in College of Saint Benilde, and lead a team of his own with PBA D-League club Go for Gold Scratchers, who won the 2018 PBA D-League Foundation Cup, and Philippine-based club team Mighty Sports.
For his part, Monteverde has become one of the top high school basketball coaches in the country. He is a Tiong Lian and UAAP champion coach and is the only coach in Philippine history to win two NBTC National Championships.
Betia, a proud Cebuano, will be in charge of the team’s head of scouting. Currently an assistant coach with the FEU Tamaraws, he was also a staple in Chot Reyes’ Gilas Pilipinas.
On the other hand, Altamirano and Sison will take charge of the Under-17 program.
Altamirano, son of decorated mentor Eric, is a former assistant coach for the NU Bulldogs and the DLSU Green Archers. He is also currently the special projects head of the NBTC. He will be in charge of scouting for the Under-17 tourneys.
A San Beda lifer, Sison has been with the Red Lions since 2006. In 2016, he was named as the head coach of the Red Cubs, steering the team to the 2017 National Championship, the NCAA Season 92 championship, and multiple MMBL crowns.
Though there is a distinction as to where the focus of these coaches will be, they will also be tasked to help out both programs.
