The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) on Saturday, Jan. 10, announced the designation of coach Juno Sauler as Gilas Pilipinas Youth Men’s team head coach.
He has over 30 years of experience in basketball coaching ranging from youth, high school, collegiate, to professional levels.
Sauler has won five PBA championships as an assistant coach while he has won four UAAP titles as head coach, three in the women’s and one in the men’s division. While he has been coaching at the top level for the past years, Sauler has stayed connected to the grassroots development of basketball in the Philippines. He has been an advocate of not employing the Zone Defense in Youth competitions to help teach younger basketball players about fundamentals and defensive concepts at a young age.
Through this advocacy, Sauler has traveled all over the Philippines and connected with different regions, which will be critical in his new role.
Currently serving as an assistant coach in the PBA for the Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots as well as assistant coach for the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers in the UAAP, Sauler takes over from the Magnolia’s head coach in LA Tenorio, who will stay with the Youth program as an Adviser.
“The SBP welcomes coach Juno into the Gilas Pilipinas Youth Men’s team and thank coach LA Tenorio for his stint as head coach,” said SBP President Ricky Vargas. “Coach Juno brings a wealth of experience and deep connections nationwide that will help him put together the best team possible.”
Sauler will now be tasked to lay the groundwork for the team in close coordination with the SBP’s Talent Identification and Grassroots Development Program led by coach Norman Black. It will be a busy year immediately with the 2026 SEABA Under-18 Championship coming up.
The top two finishers from SEABA will qualify for the FIBA Under-18 Asia Cup and the top four teams from that tournament will book a ticket to the 2027 FIBA Basketball Under-19 World Cup.
