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UNIVERSITY of the East coach Boycie Zamar has been offered a coaching job at San Miguel, just a week after Leo Austria led the Beermen to a maiden Asean Basketball League (ABL) title.
Zamar himself confirmed to Spin.ph on Thursday that he has been offered a place in the Beermen's staff in the latest twist to an ongoing rigodon among coaches of ballclubs under the San Miguel Corp. umbrella.
Zamar is a former national coach whose stock rose after steering an unfancied Red Warriors squad to the preseason title in the last Filoil Flying V Hanes Premier Cup tournament at the San Juan Arena.
“Even before may mga offers na naman. Of course, professional group yun eh (San Miguel),” Zamar told Spin.ph. "Siguro naa-appreciate nila yung ginagawa natin. I don’t see any problem. Basta sa akin, kung ano maitutulong ko sa team."
Zamar is expected to be one of the assistant coaches of Austria, who is expected to stay as SMB coach after leading the Beermen to a sweep of the Indonesia Warriors in the last ABL Finals.
Spin.ph had earlier reported that SMC is looking to name Gee Abanilla as the new coach of Petron replacing Olsen Racela, with former Indonesia Warriors coach Todd Purves coming in as a coaching consultant.
Abanilla has been replaced as La Salle coach by Ginebra assistant Juno Sauler but Austria's situation is a little more complicated since he has a live contract with Adamson that will run until the end of the UAAP season.
PBA coaches are barred from holding collegiate positions in a concurrent role.
Racela, insiders said, is set to be moved to San Mig Coffee as one of Tim Cone's assistant coaches.
SMC has yet to issue a statement on the matter.
The soft-spoken Zamar made it clear that his priority at this point is UE, which will be opening the UAAP’s Season 76 against Far Eastern University next weekend.
“Sa akin lang, basta huwag lang mag-conflict (ABL coaching) dahil may commitment pa tayo sa UE. Ngayon, naka-focus lang muna tayo sa UAAP,” he added.
Zamar, a member of the Red Warriors squad that won the school’s last two UAAP championships in 1984 and 1985, returned to the collegiate coaching scene midway through last season replacing Jerry Codinera.
The Red Warriors coughed out just three wins last season on the way to a seventh place finish but appeared to have turned the corner under Zamar following their 81-68 upset win over the Ray Parks- and Emmanuel Mbe-led National University Bulldogs in the Filoil Cup Finals.
Source: Richard Dy, SPIN.ph
