PBA: Ginebra likely to replace Tanquingcen with Chua

Barangay Ginebra San Miguel will likely be the first PBA team to parade a new head coach in 2013, by shifting consultant Alfrancis Chua to the lead chair, while moving Siot Tanquingcen down to an assistant coach position.

Chua has always been rumored to be next in line for the job since he was appointed as consultant back in January of 2012, following the departure of co-head coach Jong Uichico.

Ginebra has not been in the Finals since the 2011 Commissioner's Cup, where they fell to the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters in six games.

With Tanquingcen at the helm, beginning with him being appointed co-head coach at the start of the 2011-12 season and through the exit of Uichico, Ginebra has compiled a 33-28 record, with two semifinals berths. They were a game away from making it to the 2012 Governors' Cup Finals, but fell to the B-MEG Llamados, now the San Mig Coffee Mixers, in a playoff.

Most recently, the team acquired 2012 William Jones Cup MVP LA Tenorio during the offseason, but after starting the 2012-13 Philippine Cup with two wins, Ginebra endured a five-game skid. They bounced back with a five-win streak, but then closed out the elimination round with a pair of losses.

BGSM then proceeded to go 1-2 in the best-of-three quarterfinals as the sixth seed, getting eliminated by the third-ranked Rain or Shine Elasto Painters.

Chua was last head coach of the now-defunct Sta. Lucia Realtors, a stint that lasted from the start of the 2003 season, until the Philippine Cup of the 06-07 season. In that span, he posted a 71-98 record, making two semifinals appearances early on, but never getting to the Finals.

He was later moved to a consultant position in favor of assistant Boyet Fernandez. - AMD, GMA News