SBP appoints LA Tenorio as new Gilas Youth coach

The Samahahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) appointed veteran point guard Lewis Alfred Tenorio as the new head coach of Gilas Pilipinas Youth.

Tenorio has taken over the reins from Josh Reyes, who stepped down from his post last September after having dismal performances in FIBA Tournaments.

“He has great relationships with coach Norman Black, who heads our grassroots program, and coach Tim Cone of the elite level, and he’ll serve as the bridge between the two,” he added.

“When we first talked to LA about the idea, he was open to the challenge immediately and he even had a short list of coaches that he wanted to work with. He’s a natural leader and a winner on and off the court. He will teach our young athletes lessons they will use not only in basketball but in life as well," Panlilio continued.

The 40-year-old native of Nasugbu, Batangas has represented the flag several times already as a player.

He was part of the 2012 Gilas Pilipinas that won the Jones Cup and the historic silver medal achievement during the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship that was held in MOA Arena.

'Tinyente' was also part of the 2014 FIBA World Cup in Spain where they secured one win in five outings. It was also the first time in 40 years that the Philippines qualified for the World Cup.

After representing the country as a player, it's now time for LA to call the shots for the youth program.

Tenorio first got a shot in coaching when Bonnie Tan allotted him an assistant spot when the latter coached the Letran Knights in the NCAA.

Following his retirement from national team playing duty, LA served as an assistant under Gilas Men head coach Tim Cone in the 19th Asian Games gold-medal romp in 2023, while he was recovering from cancer.

“Coach Tim is big on continuity and that has been the reason why we’ve had a small pool for Gilas ever since he took over,” said SBP executive director Erika Dy.

“Appointing Coach LA as head of our age group teams at the youth level strengthens that process. The goal is to complete the player journey from our grassroots to the elite level, and having a Youth coach who knows the system of coach Tim by heart will be beneficial for everyone involved," she added.

Right now, the Ateneo alumnus is still an active player for Barangay Ginebra and he expressed his excitement to the new opportunity given to him.

“There’s a lot of pressure in the role because I’ll have big shoes to fill,” he said. “What coach Josh Reyes accomplished by making it to two World Cups is not an easy feat but I’m excited to work with our young players and help them reach their full potential,” Tenorio said. 

“I already talked to coach Tim and I’ll be running a similar system so our youth players can easily transition to the men’s team,” Tenorio added.

That being said, the transition from the youth program to Gilas Pilipinas will be smoother.