A changing of the guard is expected to happen in the Gilas Pilipinas Boys program after long-time head coach Josh Reyes has decided to step down from his post, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas announced on Friday, Sept. 20.

Reyes ended his six-year tenure as the top mentor of the youth team which he started handling back in 2017 and steered to two World Cup appearances. However, recent results in FIBA tournaments prompted him and the federation to contemplate about the future of the program.

“We thank coach Josh for his service to the SBP and to the country in leading the Gilas Youth program for the past six years,” said SBP president Al Panlilio in a statement, also noting that Reyes will remain part of the coaching staff of Gilas Men’s head coach Tim Cone.

The federation said it is set to name a new head of the youth program in the coming weeks.

For Reyes’ part, his years with the juniors national team program is something he will always be proud of. Under his tutelage, Gilas Boys ended a 40-year absence in the World Cup stage with the Kai Sotto and AJ Edu-led Nationals reaching the FIBA U19 World Cup in 2019.

That was followed by another World Cup stint this year in the 2024 FIBA U17 World Cup following a stellar run in the 2023 Under-16 Asian Championship that saw the Gilas Boys upset South Korea and Japan to finish fourth in the continent.

“I’m proud of those achievements but I’m more proud of the relationships I’ve built with our teams. Seeing them succeeding in their basketball careers and being better individuals after their Gilas Youth service outweighs anything that we achieved on the court,” said Reyes.

Gilas Boys, however, just couldn’t catch the break needed to go greater heights in their recent tournaments. The Nationals were forced to play in the U17 World Cup without Kieffer Alas, a member of Asia’s All-Star Five, who sustained a knee injury just days before the tournament.

Injury bug struck Gilas Boys once more, this time in the 2024 FIBA U18 Asian Championship where they missed the services of main man Andy Gemao due to a hand fracture. The Nationals settled for a 10th place finish and crashed out of the quarterfinals for the first time in 18 years.

“The last Under-18 team gave me the ending I didn’t know I needed,” Reyes admitted.

“I thank them for giving me their very best because as a coach that’s all you can ask for. It’s my worst finish but it’s a group that gave me a meaningful experience. It’s not entirely about the wins and losses but about the journey and how you grow together,” said Reyes. “