New Phoenix head coach Charles Tiu to continue mentoring Benilde

Charles Tiu has been appointed as the new head coach of the Phoenix Fuel Masters in the PBA. He emphasized that he will not be leaving his current position as head coach of the College of St. Benilde Blazers in the NCAA and intends to coach both teams simultaneously, dismissing the relevance of specific titles or positions.

Tiu accepted the offer from Phoenix team governor Raymond Zorilla on January 19, with the management of St. Benilde granting their approval for the move. He has been highly successful with Benilde, leading the team to four consecutive playoff appearances and two runner-up finishes in recent seasons.

Prior to this head coaching role, Tiu served as an assistant coach for the Converge FiberXers and has been the head coach of Strong Group Athletics in international competitions. He plans to meet the Phoenix team later this week and will work with assistant coaches TY Tang, Paolo Layug, Jon Jacinto, and Paolo Dizon.

In his initial assessment, Tiu noted that while the team has size in the forward positions, it lacks a traditional center, but he is committed to maximizing the current roster and improving the team collectively.