[Saba Sports News] For the first time, the PBA Press Association Awards Gala awarded top honors to the entire coaching team.
(Source: Getty Image)
the Meralco coaching team was honored with the Baby Dalupan Coach of the Year award, an annual awards ceremony by the PBA press that will be held Tuesday in La Alaneta City, Novotmanilla.
Melalco won the first PBA title in team history with a six-game come-back victory over archrival San Miguel Beermen in the Philippine Cup final, calling the achievement a “collective effort by the entire coaching team.”
Head coach Luigi Trillo, active advisor Nenad Vucinic and assistants Gene Afable, Reynel Hugnatan and Sandro Soriano, and Norman Black, a consultant, contributed to Melaco’s success.
Trillo previously won the honor, named after Filipino basketball coaching guru Virgilio ‘Baby’ Dalupan, in 2012-13 when he led the famed Alaska team to its last PBA championship.