Pangilinan offers Toroman to be team consultant of new Gilas squad

Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) president Manny V. Pangilinan had offered Serbian coach Rajko Toroman to be a consultant of the next Smart Gilas-Pilipinas team to be formed in time for the qualifier of the 2014 World Basketball Championship in Spain. Pangilinan said he tendered the proposal when he met with the 52-year-old Toroman last week where they discussed the team's overall development from the time the Olympian coach first handled it three years ago. Toroman's coaching contract with the SBP expired on September 30. "I offered him to be the team's consultant," said Pangilinan during the PBA Press Corps Awards Night Friday where he was honored as the Executive of the Year. " "That's an option and he'll think about it." Toroman is leaving for Serbia on Wednesday and will be back in the country by November 15, after which he'll be meeting with the SBP for another round of talks. The Serbian mentor admitted that a consultancy job was presented to him. "Everything is open. I'm going to rest in Serbia for a while." Toroman, during his meeting with Pangilinan, told the SBP president that he still wants to coach the new batch of Gilas being groomed for the 2013 FIBA-Asia Championship For Men, where three slots are at stake for a berth in the world championship the following year. Only a week ago, Toroman steered the national team to a fourth place finish in the FIBA-Asia meet, marking the first time the country made it to the medal round of the tournament since 1987. But the Nationals missed a golden opportunity to clinch a finals berth when they lost to Jordan in the semis, and then bungled a shot to bag the bronze after losing what appeared to be a won game over old rival South Korea. Asked about Toroman's chance of retaining his coaching job, Pangilinan grope for words and couldn't come up with a concrete answer. "It's hard to tell. But...anyway," said the business mogul. He did acknowledge, somehow, Toroman's contribution in the three-and-a-half years as Gilas coach. "My advice to him is to return to Serbia and rest. After three-and-a-half years of wear and tear, especially the last three months, had been particularly stressful to him. Especially in the run up to the Wuhan tournament," said Pangilinan. "So, we'll just keep in touch and he's scheduled to comeback here on November 15 and we'll take it from there." — JVP, GMA News