After his lengthy tenure with the school, Bonnie Tan decided to let go of his duties as Lyceum of the Philippines University (LPU) head coach over the weekend and allow the institution to have the free rein over selecting his successor.
The news was confirmed by Tan himself to Fullcourtfresh.com on Friday night.
Following his resignation, the trio assistant coaches Gil Lumberio, Raymund Tiongco, and Glenn Capacio will take over on an interim basis until the team can name his successor. However, he will still complete his obligations with the school’s partnership with BreadStory in the Philippine Basketball Association Developmental League (PBA D-League).
In an exclusive interview, Tan decided to leave the Pirates in good terms and give the school a free hand in taking a different direction for the team. He only cited personal reasons for leaving the school.
“After 11 years, we want to give LPU the liberty to take a new direction for the men’s basketball team. Nonetheless, we thank the community and our backers for their unwavering support for the team,” said Tan, who also is part of the GlobalPort Batang Pier coaching staff under Pido Jarencio.
“After serving the last probationary season for NCAA, I’m confident with the performance we reached as the youngest team will make them as a regular member soon. With the long term programs we have established in the team, I’m sure LPU will go farther and will reach its goal to reach the Final Four.”
He becomes the second coach following Gerry Esplana of Emilio Aguinaldo College to resign from their posts as head coach. Both schools are in their final probationary years in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
Tan led LPU to back-to-back unbeaten runs on their way to Inter-Scholastic Athletic Association (ISAA) titles in 2009 and 2010, and four-straight Sweet 16 appearances in the Philippine Collegiate Champions League before the school embarked on becoming a guest member in the NCAA.
During their four years in the country’s oldest collegiate league, Tan led the Pirates to a modest 26-48 record and nearly brought the team to the Final Four twice in 2013 with their best finish of 8-10 (won-lost).
In their four years, LPU has gained the reputation of being a “giant slayer” by beating all the top teams in the league.
