PBA: Ato Agustin named Ginebra interim head coach

Ato Agustin is the new head coach of the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel.

After several weeks without an official head coach, a league source confirmed to GMA News that Agustin will take over the job after Alfrancis Chua’s resignation earlier in July.

“Ato is interim,” confirmed the source in a text message.

Chua resigned after Ginebra’s first practice after the Commissioner’s Cup. However, after talks with the San Miguel Corporation management, Chua’s resignation was turned into a leave of absence, which opens the door for his return.

During the two-week period that Ginebra did not have a coach, current De La Salle University assistant coach Allan Caidic ran practices for the team. Within that span of time, Noli Eala who was an SMC consultant for basketball operations was reassigned to SMC’s infrastructure businesses.

[Related: Despite a new role for Eala, SMC assures fans its basketball teams will 'continue to run smoothly']

Prior to Chua's resignation, Agustin was one of several reassigned San Miguel Corporation assistant coaches. Prior to landing with the Barangay, he had been an assistant to Olsen Racela on the Petron Blaze Boosters team. 

Back in 2009, Agustin was named as the head coach of the San Sebastian Stags, and led the team to an NCAA championship that season.

The long-time San Miguel Beerman Agustin was also named the head coach for his former PBA team, which was later renamed as the Petron Blaze Boosters in 2011. He also led that team to a championship, winning the 2011 Governors’ Cup title over the Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters, who were gunning for a grand slam.  - Carlo Pamintuan/AMD, GMA News