Many wondered why Mighty Sports tapped Angola Men’s National Basketball Team head coach Will Voigt for the 2020 Dubai Basketball Championships.
Was he applying for the vacant Gilas Pilipinas coaching job? Did Tab Baldwin bring him in?
Well, the youthful American tactician quashed all those rumors, Thursday evening during Mighty Sports’ send-off at the La Campana compound in Makati City.
“Right now, my focus is with Mighty Sports. I saw the announcement for the interim guys. I think I’ve made it clear that I love basketball here and the situation here but the federation, they know what they’re doing and they will put the right people in the right place,” said Voigt, whose Angola team defeated Gilas during the 2019 FIBA World Cup.
“Obviously, Tab Baldwin is a big part of that too so if that’s me down the road. That’s great to welcome the opportunity but for right now, my main focus is Mighty Sports in this tournament.”
Voigt, who has guided numerous G-League and national teams, has an affinity for the Philippines.
Ever since he first came here for a vacation back in 2009, the Pomona College product has always held a fascination for Filipinos’ love of the game. And so on Saturday and Sunday, he and Renaldo Balkman organized a clinic for both coaches and players at Alphaland in Makati.
It’s his way of giving back to the warm welcome he always receives when he drops by the country.
“Anybody this weekend who’s free on Saturday and Sunday, I’m gonna have a coaching clinic and player skills clinic with Renaldo Balkman. We’re helping,” he said.
“It’s an opportunity to give back to the game in this area. I know the travel is a little bit complicated because of the eruption but hopefully, we’d get a lot of people there.”
But come next week, he and Mighty Sports head coach Charles Tiu will get back to business as they compete in the desert. The pressure is high for Tiu to deliver as this batch of Mighty Sports is stacked to the core.
For Tiu, having Voigt around eases the pressure, since his lead assistant has done marvels for the team so far.
“I think Coach Will Voigt will be a big addition to our squad. He’s going to help out a lot. He’s been helping all that and so I’m very excited,” said the young Tiu.
“I just didn’t want anybody to say that we don’t have enough coaching, so I thought the guy like Coach Will and so far, I’ve been very happy with what he’s brought to the team.”
After the Dubai tourney, Voigt will return to Angola to train the team for the Olympic Qualifying Tournament. What comes next is up in the air.
“Down the road, if there’s an opportunity with Gilas, that would be great. “
