Tag: assistant

Cha Cruz-Behag returns to PVL as Petro Gazz assistant coach

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FILE–Cha Cruz-Behag. PVL PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Cha Cruz-Behag is returning to the PVL but this time, she will be embracing a new role as an assistant coach for the Petro Gazz Angels in their “three-peat” bid in the Reinforced Conference, which opens on July 16 at Philsports Arena.

A year after her return to the PVL but followed by F2 Logistics’ disbandment last December, Behag has found her way back to the pros with a new team but in a different capacity.

“A new Angel on the sideline that will help the team reach new heights. Welcome, Assistant Coach Cha Cruz-Behag,” Petro Gazz announced on Tuesday.

Behag, dubbed as “Miss Everything” with her do-it-all talent as a spiker for La Salle and previous club stints, will be helping Japanese coach Koji Tsuzurabara on his mission to deliver the Angels’ third straight Reinforced Conference crown.

The veteran outside spiker came out of a five-year hiatus in last year’s first All-Filipino Conference but sat out in the next two tournaments, announcing her second pregnancy.

READ: PVL: Cha Cruz-Behag, back after four years, savors triumphant return

The 36-year-old Behag, whose mother club F2 Logistics bid farewell to the pro volleyball scene last December, is joining a team close to her family as her sister Cienne Cruz played as libero from 2018 to last year, while Camille served as team manager in the past PVL seasons.

Behag will be handling reigning All-Filipino MVP Brooke Van Sickle, Jonah Sabete, Nicole Tiamzon, Aiza Maizo-Pontillas, Djanel Cheng, MJ Phillips, and Remy Palma as well as her ex-La Salle teammate Chie Saet and fellow former Cargo Movers Myla Pablo, Mich Morente, Joy Dacoron, and Ethan Arce.

Petro Gazz has yet to announce its import but it won the last two Reinforced Conferences in 2019 with Wilma Salas and the late Janisa Johnson before successfully defending its throne two years ago with Lindsey Vander-Weide, beating Cignal in the finals.

The Angels, who finished with a bronze medal in the All-Filipino Conference, are grouped in Pool B with Choco Mucho, Cignal, Akari, Capital1, and ZUS Coffee.

Petro Gazz opens its ‘three-peat’ campaign against ZUS Coffee, which will pick Thea Gagate at No.1 in the Rookie Draft and bring Japanese spiker Asaka Tamaru, on July 18 at Philsports Arena.



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Sean Chambers ‘perfect’ as Gilas assistant, says Tim Cone

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Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone adds Sean Chambers (third from the left) to his coaching staff. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—There’s another connection brewing inside Gilas Pilipinas’ camp en route to the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Riga, Latvia.

Coach Tim Cone has added another long-time colleague to his coaching staff in the form of Sean Chambers.

Chambers and Cone had an Alaska connection built way back from 1989 to 2001 with the former as an import and the latter as the head tactician.

So when Gilas found themselves shorthanded in the staff department with LA Tenorio being busy due to Ginebra duties, Cone had no hesitations in bringing in Chambers.

READ: Gilas coach Tim Cone praises ‘ageless’ Alex Cabagnot

“Sean came at the last minute. He stepped in. He played with me for 13 years, he knows me personally as well as anybody I’ve ever met,” said Cone after Gilas’ 74-64 win over the Taiwan Mustangs at Philsports Arena on Monday.

Cone also revealed that it took some “begging” from him to the Far Eastern University, which has installed Chambers as the Tamaraws’ head coach for the upcoming UAAP season.

“We begged him and we begged FEU. Thank goodness, he said yes and FEU said yes,” explained the Ginebra mentor.

During their time together in the early 90s, the tandem of Cone and Chambers went on to win six PBA titles including a Grand Slam in the 1996 PBA season.

READ: Gilas coach Tim Cone says Scottie Thompson presence ‘irreplaceable’

It was also under Cone’s tutelage that Chambers won the Best Import award during the 1996 Governors’ Cup and the “Mr. 100%” Award in the 1991 season with the now-defunct Milkmen.

Now with the tandem on full display in the Gilas’ coaching staff, Cone is satisfied to have one of his former players calling the shots who knows how to play his own system.



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“He knows our system, he knows the Triangle, so he’s just the perfect guy. If you have been around him, he’s one of the most valuable people around you,” Cone said.

NBA: Cavs hiring Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson as next coach

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FILE – Brooklyn Nets coach Kenny Atkinson watches during the first half of the team’s NBA basketball game against the Washington Wizards, Feb. 1, 2020, in Washington. The Cleveland Cavaliers are hiring Golden State assistant Kenny Atkinson as their new coach, a person familiar with decision told the Associated Press on Monday, June 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Nick Wass, File)

CLEVELAND — Just days ahead of the NBA draft, the Cavaliers picked their coach.

Kenny Atkinson, an assistant with Golden State who helped Brooklyn rebuild before a puzzling departure, will be Cleveland’s new coach, a person familiar with decision told The Associated Press on Monday.

The Cavs have been looking for a new leader for their young team since firing J.B. Bickerstaff last month despite two straight playoff appearances and continued progress.

The sides have agreed on a deal and are working through details of Atkinson’s contract, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the team is not discussing its search publicly.

ESPN.com was first to report Atkinson is heading to Cleveland.

READ: NBA: Bucks receive permission to interview Kenny Atkinson

It’s possible there could be a minor delay in the Cavs officially announcing Atkinson’s hire. He joined the French national team’s staff as an assistant to coach Vincent Collet late last year and is currently in Paris preparing for the Olympics.

Atkinson spent the past three seasons as Steven Kerr’s top assistant with the Warriors. In 2022, Atkinson accepted Charlotte’s coaching job but backed out a week after agreeing to a four-year contract.

Atkinson’s hiring ends an expansive search by the Cavs’ front office. Atkinson was one of at least six known candidates to interview with the team since Bickerstaff’s firing on May 23 — a week after Cleveland was eliminated from the playoffs in five games by the eventual champion Boston Celtics.

The 57-year-old Atkinson checked all the boxes in what the Cavs were looking for: head coaching experience, offensive-minded and a strong reputation for player development.

He emerged as the choice by Cleveland vice president of basketball operations Koby Altman and general manager Mike Gansey last week. Atkinson then met with team chairman Dan Gilbert, who signed off on the Cavs’ first coaching hire in five years.

READ: NBA: Kenny Atkinson spurs Hornets to stay with Warriors

Atkinson went 118-190 in his three-plus seasons with the Nets, overseeing their rise from the lower tier of the Eastern Conference to a playoff berth in 2019. It appeared he might be with Brooklyn for an extended period following the additions of superstars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, but had a surprising split from the franchise in 2020.

Atkinson’s parting was a major surprise given the team’s growth under his guidance. After leaving, he spent one season on the Los Angeles Clippers’ staff before going to Golden State.

With the Warriors, Atkinson got to see one of the league’s best offensive players in Stephen Curry and immersed himself in a dynamic offense system he’s certain to borrow from with Cleveland.

One of the knocks on Bickerstaff was his inability to improve Cleveland’s offense. Still, he went 170-159 in the regular season while guiding the Cavs back to relevance through a rebuild that began in 2018 when LeBron James left as a free agent.

Bickerstaff, who replaced John Beilein midway through the 2019-20 season, kept Cleveland among the top teams in the East this season despite a slew of injuries and Cleveland advanced beyond the first round of the playoffs without James on its roster for the first time since 1994.

Atkinson, who got his NBA coaching start as an assistant on Mike D’Antoni’s staff with the New York Knicks in 2008, has some connections on the Cavs after working with center Jarrett Allen and forward Caris LeVert while in Brooklyn.

Hiring a new coach was the first priority in a pivotal summer for the Cavs. Next is getting All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell to accept a long-term contract extension, this week’s draft (Cleveland has the No. 20 overall pick) and perhaps retooling the roster with trades and in free agency.

After the Cavs were knocked out of the playoffs, Altman said the team needed a coach who could bring new ideas and a fresh approach to get the most from the team’s core of players — Mitchell, Allen, guard Darius Garland and forward Evan Mobley.



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Atkinson will get the next shot.