Gilas Youth coach Josh Reyes (Photo courtesy of Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas)
MANILA – The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) will restructure the Gilas Pilipinas Youth program after the resignation of head coach Josh Reyes.
“We thank coach Josh for his service to the SBP and to the country in leading the Gilas Youth program for the past six years. While he leaves his role as head coach, he will still be part of the SBP organization as an assistant to coach Tim Cone for Gilas Pilipinas Men,” SBP president Al Panlilio said in a press statement issued late Friday.
Reyes was Gilas Youth assistant coach for the FIBA Under-16 Asian Championship in 2017.
He became head coach in 2018, steering the team, which includes Kai Sotto, AJ Edu, and Dave Ildefonso, to the country’s best finish in the Under-18 Asian Championship since 1992, and ending a 40-year absence in the Under-19 World Cup.
Reyes returned to Gilas Youth after a brief absence to restart the pandemic-hampered program.
The team placed seventh in the Under-16 and sixth in the Under-18 Asian Championships in 2022.
After winning the 2023 SEABA title, Gilas Youth joined the Under-16 Asian Championship where they beat South Korea in the playoffs and upset Japan in the quarterfinals to reach the semis and earn a slot in the 2024 FIBA Under-17 World Cup in Istanbul, Turkey.
However, Kieffer Alas, a member of Asia’s All-Star Five, sustained a knee injury days before the start of the tournament, resulting in a winless campaign.
At the FIBA Under-18 Asian Championship, Andy Gemao injured his hand and Gilas Youth finished 10th.
“I’m thankful to our coaching staff and the support staff. We went through many ups and downs but they always showed belief through the challenges," Reyes said.
The next Gilas Youth coach will be named in the coming weeks.
“We are already having discussions within the SBP,” SBP executive director Erika Dy said.
“We thank coach Josh for helping us streamline our processes as this will be valuable to the program moving forward. The focus remains to be continuity and synergy with Gilas Men and a stronger connection with our current Grassroots Program under coach Norman Black.” (PNA)
