ARTURO "Turo" Valenzona, the man who steered San Sebastian College to four of its five consecutive titles in the mid-90s, is back at the coaching helm of the Stags in the NCAA Season 87 seniors basketball tournament. San Sebastian athletic director Frank Gusi, who also chairs the NCAA Management Committee, made the announcement yesterday after searching for several months for the replacement of Ato Agustin, who resigned in October after accepting the head coaching job at San Miguel in the PBA.
"After several months of searching, San Sebastian has decided to tap coach Turo (Valenzona) as our coach this coming 87th season," said Gusi.
Winner of six NCAA crowns, Valenzona's appointment thus made him the league’s oldest coach at 68.
He steered the Stags to four championships from 1993 to 1996, and won back-to-back titles for the Recto-based dribblers in 2001-02.
Valenzona's vast experience would be a plus factor for a San Sebastian team--the 2009 champion -- seeking to regain the title it lost last year when San Beda College completed a historic 18-game sweep.
Incidentally, Valenzona's 1996 San Sebastian team was the last squad to sweep its way to the championship before San Beda duplicated it this season.
Theodore Jurado, Journal Online
