Youthful and talented coach Ryan Gregorio has accepted the offer to become head coach of the Meralco team which returns to the pro league at the start of what is expected to spark a resurgence of Asia’s premier basketball league in its new 2010-2011 season.
Insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports learned some time ago that Gregorio had received an offer which would also give him a position in Meralco wherein Gregorio told us he will also “head the company’s sports advocacy program and will be a corporate man from day one,” thus assuring the multi-titled 38 year old coach a bright and secure future since his coaching contract alone is for five years.
He described the move as “a good career option for me” and felt comfortable with the advocacy plan where Meralco “will support particular socio-civic groups which will go hand in hand with the Meralco franchise “
After informing former PBA chairman and Purefoods president Butch Alejo about his plans after the battle for third place in the on-going PBA Fiesta Conference, Gregorio met over lunch on Sunday with San Miguel Corporation president Ramon Ang in a meeting arranged by Alejo.
Gregorio praised Ang whose attitude he described as “unbelievable.” He said “Mr. Ang was really supportive, he gave me his blessings and it made things a lot easier. He is a really nice person.”
The incoming head coach also pointed out that San Miguel Corporations substantial stake in Meralco meant that he was “not really leaving San Miguel or Mr. Ang.” Gregorio told us that Mr Ang “graciously consented to my transfer for which I will be eternally indebted.”
Gregorio conceded that the acquisition of the Sta Lucia Realty franchise by Meralco meant there was a core of players in the squad but admitted that the loss of Kelly Williams and Ryan Reyes who were traded to Talk N’ Text clearly weakened the team. However, Gregorio said “I have been in the business for a long time. At times its not really the skills or the individual talent that I am really looking for it is really the kind of fighting heart that they have.”
He conceded that right now “the team is not really strong but we have time to rebuild it and I am sure the Meralco executives will be patient the same way as I built the Purefoods team during the post Alvin Patrimonio era. It was not overnight.”
Noting that he needs players who accept a role on the team the Meralco coach said “I think I have done that with Purefoods with one or two players built around solid role players who understand their specific functions and have embraced their specific roles in the team which I think is essential in the team concept.”
Gregorio indicated his priority would be to put together the coaching staff and said he told the Meralco executives that he would “go home first, think things over and the way we are going to build this team.”
Gregorio conceded that it was very difficult to leave Purefoods where he started his coaching career first serving as assistant to Eric Altamirano in 1997 during which they won one championship and then becoming a full-fledged coach in 2002 during which he won three championships and made five finals appearances in his eight-season stint as head coach of the popular Purefoods team.
Gregorio admitted that leaving Purefoods and the players who were very close to him was “the hardest part.” He elaborated, “I always built relationships but at the same time built relationships more than a player – coach relationship. It should far transcend our basketball careers so I have positioned them in such a way that every time they play with passion, they play with energy and they play with a never-say-die attitude.”
He added, “it’ s hard for me to leave but at the same time I have so much belief that I am leaving this team on a very, very high note. We’ve broken all existing records for this franchise in the most number of wins in the season and if I am not mistaken James (Yap) will also be crowned as the MVP of the season, Rico Maierhofer will be the ‘Rookie of the Year’ and to add icing on the cake I think the Purefoods franchise will even pick a No.1. This is not like I am abandoning a sinking ship.”
Asked why he still made the move to Meralco, Gregorio replied “because of the sports advocacy program wherein I want to give whatever success I have gotten in the past a decent significance. That means with my move to Meralco I will be touching more lives because Meralco is very active in social activities. Aside from that is the excitement that I have an opportunity to rebuild Meralco from ground zero which is the most exciting part.”
Gregorio noted that for other people or coaches they may say “I am stupid for leaving a strong team but it truly depends on how you view things. For me I have a chance to rebuild this team. I built a very strong building already with solid foundations (referring to Purefoods) and I want to build another one again.”
He said that “after eight seasons its time to touch the hearts of other people.”
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