REELING from another disappointing season, Blackwater is hoping PBA great Jeffrey Cariaso can turn things around.
The Bossing officially named Cariaso their new coach vice Ariel Vanguardia late last Monday night.
“He’s tough, he’s experienced, and he’s ready to take Blackwater Bossing to new heights,” the team said on its social media page.
“So, let’s get ready, because the Blackwater Bossing are about to go on a wild ride with coach Cariaso leading the way.”
Cariaso is reportedly set to sign on the dotted line after the Holy Week break.
Blackwater advanced to the quarterfinals of the last Philippine Cup with a 5-6 card but fell to eventual champion San Miguel Beer in their Last 8 duel.
The Bossing failed to get over the hump in the mid-season Commissioner’s Cup after they wound up with a 3-9 card for 12th in the 13-team field.
Plagued by injuries to some of their key players like prized acquisition Troy Rosario, Blackwater stumbled to a 1-10 record– dead last– and missed the playoffs of the season-ending tourney.
Vanguardia, who took over at the helm of the Bossing from Nash Racela in 2021, tallied a 10-36 mark overall while calling the shots for the Dioceldo Sy-owned franchise.
He also endured the infamy of having the longest losing streak in the pro league’s history at 29 following the import-less tourney held in a bubble at Bacolor.
After the Bossing won their final game in last season’s Governors’ Cup to snap the long and agonizing drought, Vanguardia tweaked his line-up and landed big man Yousef Taha and rookies Ato Ular and No. 1 overall pick Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser.
The team later acquired Rosario as part of the Ganuelas-Rosser trade as well as Tyrus Hill, Mike DiGregorio, and RK Ilagan in a separate deal.
Cariaso handled Converge for only one conference– after the internet services provider bought the defunct Alaska ball club lock, stock, and barrel last year.
Cariaso coached the Aces from 2019 to 2022.
The likes of Taha, Hill, DiGregorio, Ilagan, JVee Casio, and Gab Banal have all suited up for Cariaso at Alaska.
