COACH Yeng Guiao and Rain or Shine are back in each other’s arms in the PBA.
The Elasto Painters, the team he guided to two titles from 2011 to 2016, signed Guiao to a three-year contract yesterday at the team’s offices in Pasig.
Former tactician Chris Gavina will serve as one of Guiao’s deputies, along with another former strategist and erstwhile head of basketball operations Caloy Garcia, who will be the team’s first assistant.
Gavina was at the helm of the Terry Que and Raymond Yu-co-owned ballclub for three conferences.
“Coach Yeng Guiao was the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters’ head coach from 2011 to 2016. He led the team to six Finals appearances and two championships: the 2012 Governor’s Cup and the 2016 Commissioner’s Cup,” Rain or Shine said on social media yesterday.
“Now, he returns to coach a new generation of Elasto Painters. Only Gabe Norwood, Beau Belga, and Jewel Ponferrada remain from the RoS team Coach Yeng coached.”
Guiao, 63, and NLEX decided to “mutually part ways” in a stunning development last Friday.
The Road Warriors tendered the former Pampanga vice governor and lawmaker a corporate offer, instead of a coaching offer. Guiao’s contract is set to expire on Sept. 30.
The Painters traded rising star Javee Moccon to Phoenix for Nick Demusis, a 2022 first-round draft pick, and a second-round pick in 2023 before the start of the season-opening tilt where they wound up with a 4-7 mark for ninth.
A disappointing 1-6 start to its Philippine Cup campaign spelled doom for Rain or Shine.
The Painters have tapped Nigerian big man Daniel Ochefu as their import for the mid-season Commissioner’s Cup kicking off on Sept. 21.
The 6-foot-10 Ochefu suited up for Villanova in the United States NCAA division I and was a member of the Wildcats team that won the title in 2016 where he received an All-Big East Honorable Mention award.
Ochefu went undrafted in the NBA draft although he was later signed by the Washington Wizards. He then played with a couple of teams in the NBA G-League and also had stints in Spain, Japan, and Korea.
