"Very Challenging" Jinino Manansala on UST Coaching Job

Taking over at the helm of a basketball team who just lost a big part of its core from last year, interim University of Santo Tomas (UST) Growling Tigers Head Coach Jinino Manansala knows that the job he will inherit from Aldin Ayo isn't going to be an easy one no matter where angle you look at. CJ Cansino is now in Diliman. Mark Nonoy is in Taft. Rhenz Abando and two others are now in Intramuros. The Growling Tigers are looking to rebuild and that's a big challenge even for Manansala who also served as an assistant coach to Ayo.

"Very challenging"  that's how Manansala, the former team captain of the Tigers during their championship-winning years in the 90s under the late Aric Del Rosario, said of the job he is about to face. Manansala initially resigned last September but the university decided to bring him back into the fold as they believe that it's necessary so that the team can rebuild brick by brick. While Manansala wished those who left Espana well, he said, "We have faith in the remaining players. We are thankful for the faith that the community has for us," He added that "We are rebuilding but we are not restructuring. We still have pieces for us to use,"

For now, Jinino Manansala's main focus is to ensure that his players' physical and mental health are both in top shape as they try to bounce back from this forgettable chapter in the history of the school. 

Photo is from ESPN