New challenge for Binky

The time has finally come for Vincent (Binky) Favis to step up to the plate and become a head coach in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

Long known as a top scout and cerebral assistant coach, Favis is now out of anyone’s shadow. He was recently appointed Coca-Cola head coach and begins his first practice with the Tigers on Tuesday.

Favis, 35, isn’t a stranger to coaching pressure. He was head coach of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) juniors for four years, the Letran senior varsity for three and the Batangas Blades in the defunct Metropolitan Basketball Association (MBA) for one. Favis won two UAAP titles for UST and an NCAA championship for Letran.

It was while coaching the UST juniors that Favis caught Ron Jacobs’ eye. Jacobs recruited Favis to join the San Miguel Beer coaching staff as an assistant in 1997. Then, Chot Reyes hired Favis as a Pop Cola assistant coach in 2000. When Pop Cola metamorphosed into Coca-Cola, Favis also made the transition. In 2003, he jumped to Barangay Ginebra as an assistant to work with Allan Caidic and later Siot Tanquingcen.

Favis took a leave of absence from the PBA when he joined the national team coaching staff in 2001-02 first under Jacobs then under Joseph Uichico. He is back on the national team as an assistant coach for Reyes.

As a player, Favis was a hard-nosed guard. He saw action for the La Salle Green Hills juniors then suited up for the Green Archers in 1987 under coach Derick Pumaren with teammates Dindo Pumaren, Gee Abanilla, Dicky Bachmann and Joey Santamaria. But Favis was cut from the La Salle lineup after a year.

From La Salle, Favis transferred to UST where he took up computer science and eventually played for three years under coach Aric del Rosario. Among his teammates were Tanquingcen, Rudolf Belmonte, Rey Evangelista, Edmund Reyes and Dennis Espino.

"I’m excited to take the challenge," said Favis referring to his new job at Coca-Cola. "We’ve got capable players and a solid lineup. I’ll work as hard as I can and enjoy the ride. For me, hard work is a key ingredient in the recipe for success."

At Coca-Cola, there is no other way to go but up after finishing dead last in the recent Fiesta Conference. Favis, however, said the showing is not a testament to the kind of team the Tigers are.

"We’ve got a winning program and a championship tradition which we hope to uphold," he continued. "A lot of work has to be done. We"ve got a nucleus to build on. All the players are fighters. We’re not making drastic changes. We’re studying the situation closely. We’re in the process of assessing what we have to determine what changes must be done."

Favis said he’s poring over the list of applicants for the coming draft, the roster of free agents and the lineups of every team in the PBA.

"We’re picking third in the draft," noted Favis who won titles for Coca-Cola and Ginebra as an assistant coach. "The way we see it, we’ll choose the best available talent when it’s our turn."

Seven Coca-Cola cagers are holding live contracts up to at least next year. They are Johnny Abarrientos, John Arigo, Rob Wainwright, Ato Morano, Ali Peek, Dale Singson and Gerard Francisco. The contracts of William Antonio, Rafi Reavis and Rudy Hatfield are expiring in September. Players with expired contracts are Jec Chia, Poch Juinio, Leo Avenido, Edwin Bacani, Gilbert Lao and Manny Ramos.

"We’re open to anybody who wants to try to make the team," said Favis. "We won’t leave any stone unturned in putting together the best team we can. I always believe that being the best is not as important as being the best you can be. Effort is important and we want the players to work as a team. I believe in divinity. I also believe that success goes to the most deserving."

On his reputation as the best scout in the league, Favis modestly brushed it aside. "I don’t know about that," he said. "All I know is I just work as hard as I can. As a scout, I look as hard as I can, dig in deep to find an advantage for my team. I observe, watch and analyze as closely as I can."

Favis said his wife Ella–whose brother Dino Aldeguer used to be a PBA player–is his closest ally and their children–Kit, 18, Carlo, 4 and Bernice, 3–complete the team.

"I follow a pre-game routine, a game routine and a post-game routine with the players," he said. "Ella is a big part of my routine. She knows her basketball. My father-in-law (Fernando) used to play and is very knowledgeable. My brother-in-law Boris coaches the La Salle Zobel juniors and there’s Dino, of course. Through the years, Ella has learned to choose what she tells me and I listen to her."

A quality family life is a priority for Favis.

"Ella, the kids and I planned to take a vacation in September but we decided to advance it to July, not realizing the Coca-Cola job would come up," said Favis. "So we spent a month in Los Angeles and San Francisco. I took off for a week in Las Vegas to be with the national team at the Global Hoops Summit while Ella and the children were in Los Angeles then I rejoined them and we all came home together. It was blessing that we were able to be together because with the Coca-Cola job, we wouldn’t have been able to go in September."

Favis said at Coca-Cola, he’ll inherit a solid coaching staff made up of Biboy Ravanes, Nash Racela and Mon Jose. Assistant coach Aboy Castro is on loan to the national team.

Favis recalled convincing Racela to join him as an assistant coach with the Blades in the MBA.

"Nash wanted to play but I persuaded him to join the coaching staff instead," said Favis. "I asked him to give coaching a shot. So he made his coaching debut in the MBA and we were together."

For Favis, calling the shots as a PBA head coach is the biggest challenge in his basketball career. It’s a challenge that is every Filipino coach’s dream.