Former junior standout Yuri Escueta is the new head coach San Beda University Red Lions.
Team officials said that Escueta, who used to play for the San Beda Red Cubs, was chosen late Tuesday evening.
“I’m very thankful for the opportunity and trust given to me by Boss MVP (Manny Pangilinan) and San Beda. Also happy and excited to be back with my alma mater,” said Escueta in a statement to the Manila Standard.
Escueta has officially started holding practices behind closed doors with the team as early as the first week of July as team management evaluated his status.
Team manager Jude Roque initially confirmed Escueta’s new role with the squad.
“It’s now official. Yuri Escueta is the new head coach of the San Beda Red Lions. A former San Beda juniors’ standout and a proud Coach Ato Badolato protégé, Yuri returns to his high school alma mater with a rich basketball coaching knowledge gained from several outstanding tacticians from his college days to his various coaching stints as assistant coach for Ateneo, Gilas, and TNT,” said Roque in a statement to the Manila Standard.
The choice of Escueta came following a meeting between Roque and team booster Manny V. Pangilinan.
Escueta got his coaching career started after first serving as an assistant coach in Ateneo and with TNT Tropang Giga under head mentor Chot Reyes.
Roque said Escueta will have former Red Lions Jenkins Mesina, Alex Angeles and Francis Cruz in the coaching staff, along with former Ateneo player Andre Santos.
Coach Boyet Fernandez, according to Roque, will still help out as consultant.
Escueta has coached Ateneo’s Team B, known as Team Glory Be in the past.
With Escueta guiding Team Glory Be, they went on to claim two Fr. Martin Cup crowns and two Got Skills championships.
Ateneo’s Team B also soared to the top of the 2019 Macau College Invitational, with Escueta as the coach.
Escueta will get started with the San Beda Red Lions when they see action in the ongoing 2022 Filoil Ecooil Preseason Cup.