Norman Black to call shots for Gilas in SEA Games

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

A familiar face is back to orchestrate the play board for the Gilas Pilipinas men’s national basketball team in the upcoming Southeast Asian Games.

Welcome back to your turf, coach Norman Black.

The man who led the Philippines to a gold medal during the 2011 SEA Games in Indonesia will replace head coach Chot Reyes, who helped Gilas bag the 2023 title after defeating Cambodia, 80-69.

Black will attempt to lead Gilas to a second consecutive gold medal in the SEA Games and completely erase the nightmare that ‘Horror in Hanoi’ created in 2021.

After Gilas ended up with a silver medal in 2021, Reyes steered the team back to the pedestal as they exacted their revenge on Cambodia which had dealt them a stunning loss during the 2023 elimination round.

It was the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) who confirmed Black’s inclusion as the head of the coaches’ pool, and his assistants are yet to be announced.

Black’s appointment meant that current Gilas head coach Tim Cone won’t be calling the shots once the team arrives in Thailand on December 9, 2025.

Cone is currently handling the team for the FIBA Asia Cup this August and will return to national team duties when Gilas sets its sights on the first window of the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

After their FIBA Asia Cup stint in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Cone and the Gilas squad will shift their focus to the World Cup qualifiers from November 24 to December 2, 2025.

Also, a conflict in the PBA Conference dimmed Cone’s chances of supervising the team at the end of the year, but the possibility of being a part of the coaching staff isn’t out yet.

This will be a huge challenge for Black after stepping away from his head coaching post since 2023, when he was tasked to fulfill a consultant role with the Meralco Bolts.