Tenorio replaces Victolero as Magnolia head coach

MANILA, Philippines — The offseason has barely started and already, Magnolia has made a major change ahead of the PBA’s 50th season in October.

Title-less since the 2018 Governors’ Cup, the Hotshots set in motion their reset drive in the league's golden season by tapping veteran playmaker LA Tenorio as their new head coach.

Tenorio was appointed last Sunday to take over the Magnolia reins from longtime mentor Chito Victolero, San Miguel Corp. sports director Alfrancis Chua confirmed to The STAR Monday.

“He will hand a free hand kung anong gagawin gagawin niya with the (Magnolia’s) current coaching staff, if he will retain them or bring his own assistants,” Chua said of Tenorio, the PBA's Ironman who established a remarkable streak of 744 consecutive games played.

While still playing for Barangay Ginebra, Tenorio has already been trying his hands on coaching and mentoring.

Initially assisting coach Tim Cone both with the Gin Kings and Gilas Pilipinas men, the 41-year-old made his head coaching debut with the Gilas Youth Team in the FIBA U16 Asia Cup SEABA Qualifiers last May, steering them to a clean sweep of the competition.

Tenorio will still call the shots for the Gilas U16 in the Continental meet in Mongolia in August, but his Magnolia duties would likely keep him from serving the Youth squad further down the road.

“Iyan ang dapat nang pag-usapan with SBP (Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas),” Chua said.

Tenorio and the Hotshots will be on a mission to bring back glory to the franchise that in 2014 won a rare grand slam. The Hotshots have been on a drought after ruling the Governors' Cup under Victolero. They made the finals only three times since the 2018 season-ender, losing twice to San Miguel (2019 Philippine Cup and 2023-24 Commissioner's Cup) and once to TNT (2021 All-Filipino).

Last season, the heavyweight squad failed to get past the quarterfinals with the last experience seeing them blowing a twice-to-beat advantage against the injury-hit Tropang 5G and missing out on a projected semis stint.

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