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| Jerson Cabiltes has bid goodbye to Pangasinan as a leave of absence looms. Pangasinan Heatwaves (file photo) |
QUEZON CITY--After two seasons in the helm, Jerson Cabiltes announced on Wednesday that he just stepped down as Pangasinan's head coach.
In a Facebook post, Cabiltes also hinted that some of his players are moving out of Rosales as well.
"To our management, thank you for the trust, support, and belief in this journey. We would not have made it this far without your leadership. Now we continue our journey as we find our new beginning elsewhere, but the mission and vision continue and the future is ours to chase," Cabiltes said.
The Heatwaves already lost veteran big man Vic Manuel after signing a one-conference deal with the Converge FiberXers in the PBA, which ended after a heartbreaking quarterfinal exit.
Pangasinan got its major breakthrough last year when the club, despite being the seventh seed, made it to the MPBL North Division Finals.
The Heatwaves shocked two perennial contenders, the Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards and San Juan Knights, to make it to the Final 4.
Pangasinan's Cinderella run ended in a sweep by Abra in the North Finals, but Cabiltes remains glad at what the former achieved.
"My vision as a coach is always to bring my team all the way. Not the ending we fought for, but the fight we showed was a enough for me to be proud of. The way we competed, the growth we showed, and how we represented Pangasinan were just some of the many achievements both on and off the court that this team has shown in Season 7," he further said.
However, despite the future seemingly bright for the franchise, uncertainty reportedly arose regarding Pangasinan's stay in the MPBL.
Benson Dela Paz of Bolahan TV reported that the club is planning to take a leave of absence for the regional league's upcoming season, which was confirmed by a person privy to the situation.
