Alas loses fight to keep post

Louie Alas yesterday "stepped down" as head coach of Talk N’ Text after two years of trying to get the ballclub out of a long dry spell in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

The Phone Pals and Alas said it was a mutual decision.

"We have nothing but the highest regard for Louie Alas. He is a great person and an outstanding individual. We don’t rule out working with him again in the future," said Iggy Yenko, the team’s PBA governor and board representative and currently PBA chairman.

"I felt that I had done as much as I could for the team and that it was time to move on. The Phone Pals are a talented team with a very supportive management. I believe they have a great future and I wish them well," said Alas, who plans to go to the US shortly to observe coaching techniques in the NBA and various colleges.

But whether the former MBA coach resigned or was fired remains the question. League sources are pointing to the latter, saying it was team owner Manny Pangilinan who handed down the decision.

Pangilinan and Alas reportedly had a very crucial meeting two weeks ago, shortly after the Phone Pals absorbed a 63-77 loss to San Miguel Beer in their quarterfinal matchup and kissed their 2001 season goodbye.

It was during that meeting, sources said, that Pangilinan strongly considered replacing Alas, who joined the PBA ballclub before the start of the 2000 season to replace Eric Altamirano, now with Purefoods.

Alas came into the PBA with the 1999 MBA national title with the Manila Metrostars tucked under his belt. But whatever success he had in the MBA, he failed to bring to his new team.

With Alas now out of the picture, a couple of names cropped up as his possible replacement just in time for the off-season where the Phone Pals will get back to the drawing board for next year’s campaign.

Chot Reyes, now with Pop Cola, and Franz Pumaren, one of Norman Black’s assistants at Sta. Lucia, are on the short list although team insiders said management is more interested in Shell coach Perry Ronquillo.

Ronquillo, one of the finest Filipino bench tacticians in the land today, is reportedly giving it some serious thought especially since his contract with Shell is expiring before the end of the year.

However, Frankie Lim, manager of the Phone Pals, said no announcement was made as to who will replace Alas, who took over as the team’s coach in 2000 and led the Phone Pals to the semifinals of the PBA Governor’s Cup Conference that year.

"We are currently assessing the needs of the team. We plan to consider everything very carefully and have no plans for any kind of announcement in the near future," he said.

Talk N’ Text, then known as Mobiline, won the 1998 Centennial Cup title and reached the final of the 1998 Governors Cup but eventually lost to Shell. The Centennial Cup featured the national team that saw action in the Bangkok Asiad.