Jerry Yee set to leave Farm Fresh to coach rebranded SGA-owned ZUS Coffee

Jerry Yee is set to leave his coaching job at Farm Fresh to call the shots for its sister team, ZUS Coffee — a rebrand of the Strong Group Athletics (SGA) franchise that made its debut in the previous PVL All-Filipino Conference.

Yee revealed the development on Sunday as he looks to rebuild the franchise that finished dead last in the AFC with a gloomy 0-11 slate.

With ZUS, the decorated tactician also revealed that it will be composed of the graduating core of his De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde in opposite hitter Gayle Pascual, middle blocker Mich Gamit, setter Cloanne Mondo?edo, and outside spiker Jade Gentapa.

The four Lady Blazers can sign directly with any PVL team without having to go through the inaugural Rookie Draft on July 6 as they had already seen action for Farm Fresh during the 2023 PVL Invitational Conference. 

Only those who have yet to compete in any PVL tourney can apply in the draft.

"‘Yung apat, we tried na iwasan ‘yung draft system so naglaro na sila ng one full conference last year sa Farm Fresh so considered na silang part of the expansion team," Yee said.

"So ‘yung apat aangat then kung sino may ‘yung mada-draft namin plus 'yung makukuha namin na free agents or undrafted players, so gano’n ‘yung magiging composition ng SGA-ZUS Coffee."

(Those four, we tried to avoid the draft so they played one full conference last year in Farm Fresh so they're considered part of the expansion team. Those four will go up and then those who will be drafted, plus free agents or undrafted players, that will be the composition of SGA-Zus Coffee.)

With him leaving the helm, Yee added that the Foxies will feature an All-Japanese coaching staff. It can be recalled that Farm Fresh tapped Japanese coach Hideo Suzuki as its consultant late last year.

"Farm (Fresh) is buo na eh so ‘yun talaga ‘yung purpose ng SGA, para dito sa CSB girls natin na aangat..so magkakasama pa rin naman kami," Yee said.

(Farm Fresh is already complete so SGA will be for our CSB girls, we could still be together.)

—JKC, GMA Integrated News