Gavina resigns as Kia coach
Kia Picanto is determined to change the direction of the franchise in 2018, and that includes the coach as well.
The franchise will begin the new year with a new head coach as current mentor Chris Gavina has officially tendered his resignation.
According to team manager Joe Lipa, assistant coach Ricky Dandan will assume the reins of the Picanto when they resume to basketball action in January.
Gavina shared it was the right time for him to move on and pursue a different venture.
“My decision to resign was in favor for the best interest of the team and myself,” Gavina shared. “I felt it was an opportune time to allow the transition of Coach Ricky to take over for the following year during a long break before their next game.”
Gavina had launched Impakt Power Drink in 2017, and he will be focusing on his new business moving forward.
“I’ll be concentrating on the promotion and marketing of my energy drink Impakt Power Drink to the Philippine market,” Gavina disclosed. “I’m optimistic for the upcoming year with my business and hopefully as one door closes another door opens for me with my coaching career in the near future.”
Gavina spent the better part of five conferences leading Kia as an assistant coach, with the highlight being his achievement in steering the franchise to its first playoff appearance when it was still known as the Mahindra Floodbuster in the 2016 PBA Governors’ Cup. He led the squad to a 6-5 record, and a quarterfinals appearance before being eliminated by the Meralco Bolts.
The 2016-17 season was a struggle for Gavina and Kia as they failed to make the playoffs in all three conferences, finishing with a cumulative 6-27 record. The Picanto are currently mired in a 14-game losing streak, dating back to last season’s Commissioner’s Cup. They were winless in the last season’s Governors’ Cup. —
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