The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) announces that it will conduct a search for a new head coach for Gilas Pilipinas Women. Patrick Aquino concludes his role as head coach after tirelessly fulfilling his duties for more than a decade. With his task for Gilas Pilipinas Women now complete, he will transition to a new role with the federation, focusing on talent identification and grassroots development on the girls’ side, along with Program Director Norman Black.
“The SBP thanks coach Patrick Aquino for everything that he has done for the program and for all his efforts in the development of women’s basketball in the country,” said SBP President Ricky Vargas. “But now it’s time to move forward and do more for Gilas Pilipinas Women and the entire women’s basketball community in the country.”
Under Aquino’s leadership, Gilas Pilipinas Women made big strides in the past decade. He led them to the Philippines’ first-ever Southeast Asian Games gold medal in 2019. He added one silver and two more gold medals to his tally, the last of which came in Bangkok.
Aquino has also spearheaded the promotion of Gilas Pilipinas Women to Division A status in FIBA Asia for both the Elite and Youth levels.
“The landscape of women’s basketball is changing as we’re seeing Filipina talent sprouting from all over the world. The talent of our Filipina players is also being recognized as doors are opening for them all over the world. We need to harness all of this into our team. This is a crucial period where we really need to invest in the growth of our women’s program as we look forward to hosting the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup in 2027,” added Vargas.
Now, the federation will engage in a search for the next Gilas Pilipinas Women head coach.
“We’re going to have a thorough process to determine who will lead Gilas Pilipinas Women moving forward. We don’t have clear prospects yet, but the search begins now,” said SBP Executive Director Erika Dy. “We’re not limiting ourselves to looking for local coaches, as our plan is really to land the best option possible. If that means hiring from abroad, that’s what we will do.”
The squad is coming off a stint in Lyon, France, where they competed in the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournament. They started their campaign with losses to France, Germany, Nigeria, and South Korea before finishing with a win against Colombia. The team fell short of making it to the World Cup, finishing fourth in the tournament with a 1–4 win-loss record.
“The SBP believes that our Filipina basketball players are good enough not just to be on the same court as these world-class teams, but good enough to beat them. This is why the federation is committed to investing more in our women’s program, and it will start with our search for a new Gilas Pilipinas Women head coach,” Vargas concluded.
Gilas Pilipinas Women will see action in August for the FIBA Women’s Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament and in September for the Asian Games in Japan.
