Joel and Koy Banal reunited after 17 years to handle Marinerong Pilipino

IT TOOK 17 years for brothers Joel and Koy Banal to find themselves together again in one team.

Joel, then head coach of the Pasig Pirates in the Metropolitan Basketball Association in Year 2000, was being helped out by his younger brother, Koy, who soon after got a coaching break with the Batangas Blades shortly after.

Since then, the two embarked on separate careers in coaching and both had successful rides.

Joel led the Ateneo Blue Eagles to a championship in the UAAP in 2002, ending the reign of La Salle. He also coached the core of his Ateneo team to the championship in the PBL also that year and his successful campaigns served as his ticket meal to get a head coaching post in the PBA via the Talk ’N Text Phone Pals after serving as an assistant coach of Tim Cone at Alaska for many years.

In his first season as head coach of the Phone Pals, Mr. Banal led the team to their first ever championship in the league, steering the squad to the All-Filipino title after losing the first two games before winning the next four.

The elder Banal is also one among the few coaches to win championships in different levels. He also won championships in the NCAA by piloting the Mapua Cardinals to multiple crowns then won a title with the Casino Rubbing Alcohol in the now defunct PBL.

Like Joel, Koy also had his own string of success.

He coached the Far Eastern University Tamaraws to championships in the UAAP as well as Magnolia in the PBL.

In the PBA, he served as an assistant coach of Purefoods where he won championships while serving as deputy mentor of Ryan Gregorio and Cone. He was also part of the Petron Blaze Boosters champion squad coached by Ato Agustin before he was given a chance to handle the Barako Bull Energy in his first head coaching job in the big league.

This time, Joel is feeling nostalgic and wants to help out his younger brother any which way he can.

The two will handle the Marinerong Pilipino in the PBA DLeague with Koy serving as head coach and Joel as his consultant.

“There were two things why I was so eager to accept this job. One, I want to help out my brother, Koy. Second, I want Koy to take care of the technical aspect of coaching while I help him out in things outside of coaching. I’m going to serve as a life coach for the players. Of course, if Koy is going to ask my help in terms of the technical aspect, then I will be easy to consult because I’m already part of the team,” Joel told BusinessWorld in a telephone interview.

Leading Marinerong Pilipino’s campaign in the D-League is expro Mark Isip, a member of Koy’s FEU and Magnolia champion teams. Other key players in the lineup include John Lopez and Jeof Javillonar among others.

Chiqui Reyes, a former Ateneo player turned sportscaster, will also be given a chance to be part of the coaching staff.