The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas has appointed LA Tenorio as the new head coach of the Gilas Pilipinas youth team.

“The SBP is excited to have a true sportsman and role model in LA Tenorio as our Gilas Pilipinas Youth head coach,” said SBP President Al Panlilio in a statement Tuesday evening, Nov. 19.

Tenorio is expected to bring a wealth of experience into the program, having been used to play for Adamson under coach turned agent Charlie Dy, and for San Beda under legendary coach Ato Badolato in high school before playing for Ateneo in the collegiate ranks.

With the Blue Eagles, he played under the tutelage of Joel Lipa, Joel Banal, Sandy Arespacochaga and Norman Black.

He was selected fourth overall in the 2006 PBA Draft where he won his first championship and his first Finals MVP plum in 2010 under Tim Cone.

“He has great relationships with coach Norman Black who heads our grassroots program and coach Tim Cone of the elite level and he’ll serve as the bridge between the two,” Panlilo said. 

“When we first talked to LA about the idea, he was open to the challenge immediately and he even had a short list of coaches that he wanted to work with. He’s a natural leader and a winner on and off the court. He will teach our young athletes lessons they will use not only in basketball but in life as well,” he added.

Tenorio has represented the country for more than a decade. He was a part of the 2012 Gilas Pilipinas squad that won the Jones Cup and took home the silver in the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship. He was also part of the team that played in the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain.

Letran was the first team to give Tenorio a spot in their coaching staff as he was an assistant to Bonnie Tan for four years. Tenorio was also an assistant to Cone in the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, where the Philippines ended its six-decade gold-medal drought.

"Coach Tim is big on continuity and that has been the reason why we've had a small pool for Gilas ever since he took over," said SBP Executive Director Erika Dy.

 “Appointing Coach LA as head of our age group teams in the youth level strengthens that process. The goal is to complete the player journey from our grassroots to the elite level, and having a Youth coach who knows the system of coach Tim by heart will be beneficial for everyone involved.”

Tenorio said that the opportunity caught him by surprise but he’s excited for the challenge.

“There’s a lot of pressure in the role because I’ll have big shoes to fill,” he said.

“What coach Josh Reyes accomplished by making it to two World Cups is not an easy feat but I’m excited to work with our young players and help them reach their full potential. I already talked to coach Tim and I’ll be running a similar system so our Youth players can easily transition to the Men’s team,” he added.