MANILA, Philippines – After years of trying, legendary PBA import Sean Chambers finally landed a head coaching gig in the Philippines, latching onto the retooling FEU Tamaraws for the UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball tournament and beyond.
Four years removed from his failed bid to lead the UST Growling Tigers, the six-time PBA champion and former Best Import is raring to bring his expertise at the collegiate level and lead the slumping Tamaraws back to its former, championship-winning glory.
“Being in the UAAP has always been a dream. I don’t think I’ve ever really thought about coaching in the PBA. I love helping out, but not ever did I have the desire to be a PBA coach. But to come back at the university level has been an absolute dream of mine,” he said in a press conference on Thursday, April 4.
“I’m absolutely honored for Mr. [Mark] Molina and the Montinola family for bringing me on board on this amazing opportunity,” continued Chambers, who is taking over for FEU icon Denok Miranda as the latter slides down as deputy.
Inheriting a younger roster after the exit of veterans L-Jay Gonzales and Patrick Sleat, Chambers is ready to inject a winning energy that he was once known for in his playing days.
“I promised the guys, I’m not called ‘Mr. 100%’ just by accident. I guarantee that I’m going to be the hardest working coach in the UAAP. Nothing to take away from the current coaches who are here, but I just know what’s in my court, and what’s in my court is to give 110% on whatever I do,” he said.
“I’m trying to curb my expectations, but I don’t expect the turnaround to take that long. I want to have an instant impact on so many different levels, and I think we can do that. Just minor details, fundamentals of the game, and playing for one another.”
While he did go into much detail about Chambers, Molina revealed that the Alaska Aces legend is in it for the long haul with the Tamaraws, who are trying to snap a two-year Final Four drought and possibly add to their league-leading 20 championships.
“So far, I’ve been able to attend three practices and I’m just trying to get to know the players, getting to know the ins and outs of the UAAP. I have a bit of a learning curve to know what’s successful and what’s gonna be successful here,” said Chambers.
“FEU has always been a contender,” added Molina. “We missed the Final Four in the last few years, but before that, we were in the Final Four for eight straight years. We still are the No. 1 team in the UAAP with 20 championships. We’re always contenders. We make do with what we have and we always compete.” – Rappler.com