Alex Cabagnot added to UE Red Warriors coaching staff in major UAAP revamp

The UE Red Warriors continue their rebuilding in the offseason as head coach Chris Gavina presented his coaching staff for the next UAAP season, with 9-time PBA champion Alex Cabagnot among his new deputies.

Cabagnot, 42, recently stepped away from active PBA play after a short return stint with the Converge FiberXers.

[RELATED: Alex Cabagnot steps away from active PBA play after brief stint with Converge]

This isn’t Cabagnot’s first foray into UAAP coaching as he was also a skills coach for the UP Fighting Maroons from 2016 to 2019, serving under then-head coach Bo Perasol. His stint included a Finals appearance in UAAP Season 81.

He was also a coach for the Bacolod City of Smiles in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League.

Apart from Cabagnot, also on Gavina’s staff are KG Canaleta, Paulo Hubalde, RJ Argamino, and Melvin Reyes.

Canaleta and Hubalde both played for the Red Warriors in the early 2000s, while Argamino has worked with both Gavina and Cabagnot with the Taiwan Mustangs when they won the 4th leg of The Asian Tournament.

Meanwhile, Reyes previously served as interim coach of the UE Red Warriors in the late 2010s.

Cabagnot and company will be tasked to help Gavina reignite the UE men’s basketball program after falling short of the Final Four in UAAP Season 87.

The Red Warriors were close to ending a 15-year Final Four drought in Season 87, ranking third after round 1 only to suffer a free fall to end the year.

UE hopes to break through with the help of key players like Precious Momowei, John Abate, and Wello Lingolingo.

The Red Warriors finished 5th in Season 87 with a 6-8 slate. They fell against the Adamson Falcons, 68-55, in the playoff for the fourth spot.