UAAP: UE officially appoints Paulo Hubalde as Red Warriors acting head coach, replacing Chris Gavina - GMA Network

The University of the East officially appointed Paulo Hubalde as the acting coach of the Red Warriors, replacing Chris Gavina, who handled the team from UAAP Season 88 until the first two games of Season 89.

UE announced the development on Tuesday while also thanking Gavina for his service.

“We sincerely thank Coach Chris for the time, energy and heart he invested in our student-athletes and in the UE basketball program. He came to UE with valuable experience from the professional and international game, and he shared that experience with our young Red Warriors. As one UE family, we respect his decision to pursue new opportunities and wish him well in his new chapter,” UE President Zosimo Battad said in a statement.

Gavina, meanwhile, thanked UE for the opportunity to call the shots for the Red Warriors.

“I am grateful to the University of the East for the opportunity to be part of the Red Warriors family. I will always value the relationships I have nurtured with the players, coaches, staff and the entire UE community. I am proud of the work we started together and appreciate everyone who supported us along the way. I hope the Red Warriors continue to build on that foundation, stay committed to the process, and work toward greater achievements in the seasons ahead,” Gavina said in a statement.

Under Gavina, the Red Warriors went winless throughout the whole season, with UE’s losing streak now at 23 since the latter part of Season 87.

Part of Gavina’s coaching staff, Hubalde said they will continue working on developing the Red Warriors.

“We thank Coach Chris for everything he has done for the program, and we will continue the work of developing our student-athletes, building character and competing with the pride and fighting spirit that define the Red Warriors,” Hubalde said.

Hubalde was part of the UE team that had the likes of James Yap and Paul Artadi in its lineup.

For Hubalde, he wants to instill pride and fight in this year’s Red Warriors.

“Noong panahon namin, we were there but we never won, but we were really competing,” Hubalde said last Saturday as he called the shots against Far Eastern University.

“So, ‘yun ang gusto kong ipa-feel sa kanila na we're all in this together. Sabi ko nga sa kanila kanina, you have to have that pride of wearing the red and white.”

(When I was playing, we were really competing. That’s what I want to make them feel, that we’re all in this together. I told them that you have to have that pride of wearing red and white.)

“Kailangan talaga nila magkaroon ng pride, pride on defense, pride on scoring. Pride on wearing that uniform… We’re very proud to wear that. So, doon pa lang, put everything on the floor,” he added.

(They really need that pride. Pride on defense, pride on scoring, pride on wearing that uniform. We’re very proud to wear that. From there, we put everything on the floor.)

The still-winless UE will face the University of Santo Tomas later this afternoon.