At A Glance
- Already one of the leaders of the loaded San Miguel team, Chris Ross' role with the Beermen gets even bigger after he was appointed as an assistant coach.
Already one of the leaders of the loaded San Miguel team, Chris Ross’ role with the Beermen gets even bigger after he was appointed as an assistant coach.

Although still part of the lineup and still expected to provide the tenacity on the defensive end for the Beermen, Ross bared he’s already attending coaching meetings after participating in the team practices.
“I’m actually a playing assistant coach. I have the title of assistant coach but I’m still playing,” shared Ross during the Gilas Pilipinas session in the PBA media day on Tuesday, Oct. 24.
“I don’t know if anybody has that title but Boss Al called me last week and I was sleeping and I woke up three hours later and I had two missed calls. I texted him back and he called five minutes later and he was like, 'I just want you to know that I know you still have years left in you to play but I want to appoint you as assistant coach as well,” Ross recalled upon getting the request to be part of the coaching staff from SMC sports director Alfrancis Chua.
Having been the leader and the extension of the coach on the floor, it was nothing strange for Ross although it still felt strange for him to be inside the coaches’ meeting.
“It’s been maybe five days on the job and I went to one coaches’ meeting. But I told coach G (team manager Gee Abanilla) that I wasn’t official yet until I got all the coaching shirts. Once I get that, it’s official,” he jested.
Ross, however, stressed that he will still be actively a part of the lineup and will play for the upcoming Commissioner’s Cup. He was, in fact, ready to go even after sustaining minor injury on his calf.
“I actually strained my calf at practice yesterday. Yesterday, I was playing. Today, I went to being a coach,” said Ross, who shared that he feels he still has plenty of gas left in his tank enough to play for two more years.
“I’m a player first but I still have to join all the coaches’ meetings and all that stuff. But playing first and then whenever I decide to retire, I know the end is near, I told myself that I want to play till I’m 40. Maybe in the next two years, I'll jump over to the other side,” said Ross.