De La Salle University has announced today the appointment of Gelacio Abanilla as the new head coach of the men’s basketball team. Supporting him as team consultant is long-time PBA and former Green Archer coach Jong Uichico.
The announcement ends a month of speculation as to who will be the next person to call the shots for the Green Archers. Several names, including Abanilla have been mentioned in connection with the vacancy.
Gee attended high school at DLSZ and then went to DLSU for college. He was part of the Green Archers’ back-to-back championship teams in 1989 and 1990. He also won several championships while playing for Magnolia in the PBL.
After his playing career, Gee embarked on coaching starting as an assistant to Franz Pumaren at DLSU. He was part of the coaching staff during the Archers’ 4-peat title run from 1998 to 2001. At the same time, he also served as an assistant coach with several teams in the PBA. He was an understudy to the likes of Derrick Pumaren, Yeng Guiao and Siot Tanquincen in the pros.
He had a brief head coaching stint with the CSB Blazers in 2008 and with Hapee Toothpaste in the PBL. After a season in the NCAA, he handed over the reigns to Richard Del Rosario to focus more on his coaching duties in the PBA.
Abanilla is currently an assistant coach at Petron under Ato Agustin. Their team won the last PBA conference championship.
More details to follow.