BY NOLI CORTEZ
A TWO-TIME winner who was demoted to
assistant coach early this season is being elevated anew to
the head coaching post to boost San Miguel Beer’s flagging
campaign in the PBA Fiesta Cup.
In a management decision reached last
Monday, Bethune ‘Siot’ Tanquingcen has been tapped to take
over from San Miguel Beer interim coach Biboy Ravanes and
rescue the Beermen from impending disaster, starting tonight
against the Purefoods Tender Juicy Hotdog Giants.
Tanquingcen steered Ginebra to two titles
during the league’s 2004-2005 transition period but was forced
to take the backseat when coach Jong Uichico, formerly of San
Miguel Beer, was tapped to call the shots for the Kings prior
to the start of this season.
The Beermen, with national coach Chot Reyes
calling the shots, finished second behind the Kings in the
season-opening Philippine Cup but have struggled in the
ongoing Fiesta.
The absence of stars Danny Seigle and
Dondon Hontiveros who have been loaned to the national team
and injuries to forwards Danny Ildefonso and Lordy Tugade have
cost the Beermen dearly. They have remained winless after
three games.
Tanquingcen, reached for comment yesterday,
said: "Mahirap, marami nang nauna," referring to the fact the
Beermen will have a lot of catching up to do.
He also claimed he will coach SMB on an
interim basis since Reyes is still the coach of the squad.
Ravanes, meanwhile, welcomed the SMB
decision.
"Prerogative ng management iyan. Okay lang
dahil pagpasok ko naman dito alam kong interim lang ako," said
Ravanes, who was tapped to coach the Beermen when Reyes
resumed his job as main tactician of the national team gearing
up for a possible stint in next year’s Beijing Olympics.
"At siguro ginawa na rin ng management iyon
para magising ang club, ang players," added Ravanes, who will
serve as Tanquingcen’s chief assistant.
Before being tapped to coach Ginebra,
Tanquingcen served as assistant to Uichico in SMB for close to
eight years.
Tanquingcen handled the Beermen’s practice
yesterday afternoon at the Acropolis gym.
Among the tasks facing him is an urgent assessment of
import Paul McMillan who had 16 rebounds but only 11 points
and nine turnovers in his debut game last Saturday, a 64-82
loss to Coca-Cola in Tubod, Lanao del Norte.
