Agustin admits coaching Ginebra comes with 'a little bit of pressure'

 

Coach Ato Agustin has taken the heat from Ginebra fans right off the bat following his decision to sit out new acquisition Japeth Aguilar in the crucial stretch of the Petron game in favor of Willy Wilson. Jerome Ascano

ATO Agustin by now knows how it likes to be with Barangay Ginebra, more so, being at the helm of the most popular ballclub in the PBA.

Agustin admitted feeling a little bit of pressure calling the shots for the Kings especially after losing his debut game with the team in the Governors Cup, 95-101, to sister team Petron.

A champion coach with Petron and NCAA team San Sebastian and voted as one of the PBA’s 25 Greatest Players, Agustin had taken the heat from Ginebra fans right off the bat following his decision to sit out new acquisition Japeth Aguilar in the crucial stretch of the game in favor of veteran Willy Wilson.

The 1992 league MVP just shrugged of contentions about his coaching decision, stressing match-up problems with Petron import Elijah Millsap prompted him to sit out Aguilar in the stretch run.

“Yes, may konting pressure especially iba itong Ginebra e,” Agusitn shared to Spin.ph. “Pero hindi ko na lang iniisip `yung pressure.”

That the Kings are coming off a runner-up finish in the Commissioner’s Cup only adds to Agustin’s burden shortly after assuming the Ginebra head-coaching job on an interim basis from Alfrancis Chua, now elevated as team manager.

“Understood naman `yun, galing sila sa Finals last conference so kailangan i-sustain mo `yung showing,” he said.

And it just so happened that in his first game with the Kings, he has no less than his former team for an opponent, Agustin being the last man to steer Petron to a championship during the Governors Cup two years ago.

Letting out a smile, he said he has no ax to grind, nor does he have anything to prove, against his former team and players.

“The usual game lang naman, nothing personal. I just have to do my job,” Agustin stressed.

And a major part of that job is to steer the Kings to greater heights the way he did with the Boosters in the past.

“Siyempre kahit interim lang gusto ko maging maganda pa rin ang resulta (ng campaign),” the Ginebra coach said.