Slinger coach Arsego not returning for second ABL season
By Les Tan/Red Hoops
Slinger head coach Frank Arsego. (Photo 1 © Les Tan/Red Hoops)
Friday, February 19, 2010 – The Singapore Slingers head coach Frank Arsego has decided not to return for the second season of the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) later this year.
Coach Arsego led the Slingers to a 10-5 win-loss record during the regular season before bowing out with his team 1-2 in the playoffs against Satria Muda BritAma.
Having been in Singapore since 2008, going home to family in Australia is now his main priority.
“The reason for heading back to Australia is family,” Arsego told Red Hoops. “I’ve been here for two years and my family stayed home in Australia. I need to get back to connect with the family. I want to spend more time with my son and not miss out too much.”
Coach Arsego took the Slinger players aside last night to break the news to them personally.
“It’s not an easy thing to give up what you’ve started and have had some success with. The two things I’m proud of is that I’ve left a good team and helped to create a lot more interest in Singapore for basketball.”
Slinger general manager Michael Johnson understood where Arsego was coming from.
“I would have liked for him to have stayed 12-18 months but it’s a family decision. It’s not one of those situation where we had a bad season and the coach has to go. We had a great season!” said Johnson.
Johnson added that Arsego told him of the decision after the playoffs and that the Slingers will decide on a new head coach closer to the start of the second ABL season.
For assistant coach Neo Beng Siang, the experience of working alongside Arsego had been a good one.
“I’m pretty happy working with him because he’s a nice coach who has taught me a lot of stuff, sharing with me his 35 years of coaching experience, giving me articles from coaching clinics he’s attended to read,” said Neo.
“The players and I were sad to hear that he was going because we expected him to be staying another one or two years because we had a good season where everybody jelled together,” added Neo.
“I felt quite sad when I was told about the news, as I have been working with him since the last season when I am still a development player,” said local Slinger Steven Khoo. “I learnt a lot of basketball skills and also life skills from him. He is always a very nice coach and friend to me. He is always the first person I would approach and talk to when I am in doubts.
“But this is part and parcel of life, people come and go, so I wish him all the best,” added Khoo.
“I enjoyed the time working in this program with him,” said Wong Wei Long. “He has had an impact on my basketball career. It is our loss that we could not keep him as our coach for the next ABL season.”
In other team news, Slinger Kyle Jeffers will play for his old club Langen of Germany in the ABL off-season and he expressed a strong desire to return for a second season with the Slingers.
Jeffers was named Most Valuable Player by the Slinger management while Hong Weijian got the Most Improved Player.
Marcus Ng, who got the Best Defensive Player accolade, will be returning to Australia to resume his medical studies while Michael LeBlanc and Al Vergara have no definite plans at the moment.
The local Slinger boys will in the meantime spend the off-season conducting basketball clinics for Singapore schools before resuming training some time later.
Arsego celebrating with Al Vergara an astonishing comeback against Satria Muda in Jakarta last November 2009. (Photo 2 © Les Tan/Red Hoops)
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so long frank..now the big question is who is gonna take his place, a big shoe to fill in.
Slingers will return with a complete local roster?
No, the Slingers won’t return with a complete local roster.
Goodbye Coach A, your departure is a big loss to the organisation. We’ll miss you. The 10 – 5 season record was the least of your achievements, they way the Slingers played and the way they carried themselves on the court and off the court, for me, is a much bigger credit to your efforts and contributions.
You’re a class act, I hope we keep the values that you have instilled.
Assitant coach might elevate to head coach?
gonna miss his coach talent!
All the best to you Coach Arsego!
Thanks for your part in making ABL interesting.
How about Rensy Bajar as Slinger Coach? I saw him coach the Lyceum of the Philippines University Pirates at the NCRAA{National Capital Region Athletics Association} which is another collegiate league in the Philippines before his stint at the ABL.
What’s the reason for Rensy Bajar’s removal from SMB?
One poster here said that it was disciplinary issues(????).
If ever that’s true, no way will he even be considered for Slingers Coahing job. How can you earn discipline from your players if you haven’t shown it yourself?
But if that’s not true, how did the Pirates fare in the NCRAA?
Maybe he has the qualifications but maybe Slingers should hire a local instead, might attract more local fans.
@mart: Lyceum fared quite well in the standings but that particular league never got the publicity that the UAAP and the NCAA has enjoyed, they managed to enter the PCCL by then, Bajar was busy in his ABL stint so they’re quite good…
Former NCRAA member: Emilio Aguinaldo College, Angeles University and Arellano University were elevated to the NCAA before Season 85 and starting this July, they are now becoming serious contenders so far, Arellano showed some promise at last season.
No way bajar for slingers! look for another australian coach.
bajar is legitimate pg, mvp in IBL league, at this stage better to shift to coaching than playing.
he will surely be missed and definitely a big loss for his replacement Well Rensy Bajar is surely a good player but un tested in coaching. well maybe ask ateneo head coach norman black or alex compton maybe even bobby parks. the played as imports in the pba and some how had coaching stints most notably norman winning the grandslam in 1989 in the pba coaching for san miguel and now uaap’s ateneo.
I was a bit shocked of the sudden departure of Frank Arsego, but family always comes first.
It is pretty logical that at this point Neo Beng Siang should take over as the next Slingers coach because of the continuity of the system placed by Arsego.
Bringing in a new coach outside from the current staff might bring a different culture, mentality, and system, which might be cumbersome for some of the players.
If Michael Johnson decides otherwise, it should be done within the next two or three months.
Cut foreign expenses,utilize locals.
Can find lots of basketball courts here in singapore, so as the coach and players will be discover.
the only thing that can replace coach arsego is the asstant coach of Slingers because he knows the system of the Slingers..
Big gamble, new coach from outsider, might be better or worst putting new coach, since slingers landed still short for finals berth,perhaps their system is not too effective and need to change?
I doubt Norman Black would leave the Ateneo coaching position for the Slingers job.
Slingers 4guard 1center rotation is trademark of being an offensive team, this is the system that will beat the defensive team which they are successfull against Patriots.
I agree with mart. I don’t think Norman Black would be the logical choice. I don’t even think that Ateneo de Manila University will let him take the job since I am pretty sure that Ateneo is giving him a huge amount of money to coach the Blue Eagles. I won’t be surprised if Black is getting a salary equal or more than the coaches in the PBA make or even in the ABL.
Whoever coaches an ABL team, it should be full-time.
Hi guys but ..err.. Les…
was my post not readable for public?
I posted something at tis thread but it was lost somewhere somehow?
=(
We have 7 moderators and so for some reason, your comment may have been deleted.
I don’t recall any comment from with your nickname.
We moderate quite tightly on this site.
Oh Les,
it was found: my post
At “Red Sports” under the same story
And err…I dun think my language will cause the posting to be moderated =P
Anyway, I cant understand why tis has happened tat the same story being posted in Red Sports n Red Hoops has different pages of comments posting…hmm..?
By the way, tks for the coverage of tis whole area of basketball tat kept my passion for tis sport to re-born. Be it in the local interschools division or the professional leagues.
Don
@Don, ok good to know.
Glad you are enjoying the coverage on Red Sports and Red Hoops. We have a lot of fun with the two sites.
Sad to hear the news of Coach A leaving…. I certainly hope they can find another great coach to replace him.. Good luck Coach as we will miss you very much!
jeffers and le blanc need by slingers next season for sure.
Slingers should evaluate their salary package and keep arsego in the team.
Arsego quit because he wants to be with his family and not about the salary. So repackaging his salary may not change hs decision.
Unless his whole family moves here. or the Slingers provide him a chartered jet to Australia anytime at his disposal.
Thats the point, give arsego full family status contract!
same situation happens to us ordinary workers..
Supervisor says “give him the raise that he is demanding, he’s worth it”…but HR says “not so fast, budget does not allow it, hire a cheaper guy”
Else let HR do technical jobs.
Is it because of family reasons, or because of money?
Frank has stated that it is for family reasons he is returning. Not money. So let’s not speculate further. It’s not easy to give up a job you like for family reasons. What those family reasons are in detail, I am not at liberty to tell you because beyond a certain point, it’s none of our business really. Let’s respect the man’s privacy.
I ust only mentioned, Slingers should examine thorouly their salary cap.
I agree with Les. I think it’s best to continue the discussion on the basis of a potential replacement of Arsego. Based from my original comment, it would be more logical if his top assistant coach to handle the reigns because of the continuity of the system Arsego instilled with the Slingers.
There’s still a lot of time between now and the start of the second season. They can put the current assistant coach as an interim coach, play some mini-tournaments like they did prior to the start of last season, or participate in the SEABA champions cup tournament — a club tournament that serves as a qualifier for the FIBA-Asia Champions Cup. They can also join the Jones Cup in Taipei in July if invited. If he does well on those tournaments, win or lose, they should give him the nod. Otherwise, find a replacement.
As far as salary is concerned, I think the cap only applies to the players. Not really familiar with the ABL salary cap policies.
How about staging the Challenge Series very soon?
PBA teams can use some tuneups for the next conference. And the Slingers Assistant coach can assess himself regarding his capability to coach the team.
Aside from PBA teams, maybe invite the Ateneo and La Salle teams. They will also want to test their new recruits for the coming collegiate season.