Ato Agustin and Gee Abanilla

Will San Miguel Beer make a coaching change?

Obviously, the Beermen are heading to that direction after losing to the Alaska Aces in the recent PBA Fiesta Cup Finals.

However, it’s not yet certain who will take Tanquingcen’s place.

But this early, Ato Agustin, according to a highly-reliable source, is the leading candidate to take over from Tanquingcen, although Gee Abanilla is also an option. The two are part of San Miguel coaching staff and both called the shots for the team twice, each one posting 1-1 win-loss record this conference.

Top officials of San Miguel are expected to meet this week to discuss the team’s plans for its coming campaign in the pro league, and the coaching post tops the agenda.

Contacted last week by the Bulletin, San Miguel chief for basketball operations Robert Non said all issues concerning the three teams of the company – SMB, B-Meg Derby Ace and Barangay Ginebra – will be discussed this week.

Agustin, the PBA MVP in 1992, mentored SMB in a pair of games during the classification phase, while Abanilla took the helm in Games 5 and 6 of the Fiesta Cup Finals. On both occasions, Tanquingcen acted as consultant.

Management has said that it was part of an on-the-job training for assistant coaches.

A PBA insider said that SMC president Ramon S. Ang will decide who will coach the Beermen next season, saying: “Whatever discussion is going among the officials of the SMC teams, the final decision will obviously come from Mr. Ang.”

However, league sources said that it’s either Agustin or Abanilla for the San Miguel coaching job, while Tanquingcen will rejoin his former team Ginebra and the coaching staff of Jong Uichico.

When Uichico moved to Ginebra prior to the 2006-07 Season, Tanquingcen, who was then the mentor of the Kings, was relegated to assistant coach. The revamp resulted to a championship for the Kings and Uichico credited Tanquingcen for his tremendous contributions to the team.

The following season in the Fiesta Cup, Tanquingcen was named head coach of SMB when Chot Reyes joined the all-PBA national team.

Tanquingcen won his first and so far only championship with San Miguel when he guided the franchise to the Fiesta Cup title last season. In their repeat bid though, the Beermen lost to the Alaska Aces, 4-2.

If SMB picks Agustin, the pride of Pampanga will have to step down as mentor of the reigning champion San Sebastian Stags in the NCAA.