The Hunt Continues: Who's in the Running for UST's Coaching Job?

A week after Aldin Ayo left Espana and a few days after the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) imposed an indefinite ban on the Season 80 champion coach, the hunt continues for the next man who will take the top coaching job in UST.

While three-time Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) champion coach Siot Tanquingcen appears to be the leading candidate to replace Aldin Ayo as head coach of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Growling Tigers, two of Tanquingcen's teammates during the Tigers' four-peat run from 1993 to 1996 under the late Coach Aric del Rosario are also in the list of candidates to replace Ayo: Estong Ballesteros and Chris Cantojos. 

Two other former student-athletes who once don the black and gold have sent their resumes to the Institute of Physical Education and Athletics Thursday night and while they didn't win a championship for Espana, they still left a mark in both the history of the school and the league. 

Ed Cordero was a part of UST's scoring onslaught during the 70s as he scored 54 points on July 29, 1979- a record that still stands to this day. He also served as the UAAP commissioner in 2008. 

Gilbert Lao was known to UST faithful as a banger during his stay from 1997 to 2001. 

Another name popped out in the race for the top job art UST and this one is a non-Thomasian: Chris Gavina who is currently an assistant coach in the PBA. This isn't the first time Gavina's named was linked to a coaching job in the UAAP as he was also believed to be the next coach of the University of the East back in 2018 before the job went to Jeff Napa. 

Whoever takes over the job Ayo vacated will have a full plate waiting as the Growling Tigers are still waiting whether they will be able to play in Season 83 as the government is still investigating their bubble trouble in Capuy, Sorsogon. 

Photo is from ESPN