Tim Cone

Earl Timothy Cone
File:Tim cone.jpg
Sport(s)	Basketball
Current position
Title	Head coach
Team	B-Meg Llamados 2011-present
Biographical details
Born	December 14, 1957 (age 54)
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1989–2011 2008–present	Alaska Aces B-Meg Llamados

Earl Timothy Cone (born December 14, 1957), better known as Tim Cone, is an American head coach of B-Meg Llamados in the Philippine Basketball Association. He is known for leading the Aces to 13 PBA titles in its franchise history while leading the 1996 Milkmen to a rare PBA Grandslam. He also once coached the Philippine Centennial Basketball Team in 1998. Cone is a proponent of the triangle offense.

Cone was born in the United States and grew up in Oregon. He moved to the Philippines when he was nine years old after his father came to the country to work in the logging industry.

Coaching career

Alaska Aces

In 1989, Cone took over as the coach of the Alaska Air Force with players such as the famed Bruise Brothers duo of Yoyoy Villamin and Ricky Relosa, and Abet Guidaben. A year later, Cone led the Air Force to the finals of the 1990 PBA Third Conference. Alaska blew a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series to suffer one of the biggest collapses in PBA history, losing to Purefoods in five games. But in 1991, Alaska won its first championship by defeating Ginebra San Miguel in the 3rd Conference. That team was led by Jojo Lastimosa, Eugene Quilban and Bong Alvarez.

After several struggles, Cone's team would have a strong team of locals Johnny Abarrientos, Jojo Lastimosa, Bong Hawkins, Jeffrey Cariaso and Edward Juinio, while having import Sean Chambers for the Milkmen. From 1994 to 1998, the Milkmen won eight titles in 14 conferences during the stretch. The highlight of that run though would come in the 1996 season when Alaska won the coveted PBA Grand Slam, becoming the third franchise and the fourth team to win a Grand Slam in the history of the PBA.

While Alaska continued to dominate by adding Kenneth Duremdes in 1997. Duremdes, playing a limited role with the Pop Cola franchise, rose up to the occasion in 1998 under Cone's tutelage, winning the PBA Most Valuable Player Award at 24 years of age. That year, Cone was hired as the coach of the Philippine Centennial Team led by Duremdes, Abarrientos, Lastimosa, three players on Cone's Alaska team, and PBA stars Alvin Patrimonio, Marlou Aquino and Allan Caidic. That team won a bronze medal in the 1998 Asian Games in Bangkok, Thailand.

Alaska won the 2000 All-Filipino Cup, but afterwards, the team faced rebuilding and traded away several remnants of the old Alaska. Cone, however, would lead the young team of John Arigo and Ali Peek to runner-up finishes in the 2002 Governors and All-Filipino Cup. A year later, the Aces added UAAP star Mike Cortez and fil-am Brandon Cablay, leading Alaska to the 2003 PBA Invitational Cup championship, Cone's 11th title.

On July 17, 2006, Manila Standard reported that Alaska is set to terminate Cone depending on a meeting between both parties after Cone's contract with the Aces expired on July 15. Rumors also speculated that his replacement will be his former assistant, former National team mentor Chot Reyes, with Cone staying on as team consultant. [1]

However, a day later, the Aces' official website reported that Cone has agreed to a new deal to stay on as the team's head coach for the 2006-07 PBA season. Terms of the contract were not disclosed. [2]

B-Meg Llamados

On September 1, 2011, Alaska team owner Wilfred Uytengsu announced that it has "released Tim Cone as head coach of the Alaska Aces" after 22 years of PBA seasons. Uytengsu remarked that Cone requested to be released a week earlier. Cone was quick to deny in a press conference that he is set to coach B-Meg Llamados, another PBA team.

On September 14, 2011, Tim Cone was at the B-Meg Llamados practice that day and was introduced as the new head coach. He will tap former Alaska players Johnny Abarrientos and Jeffrey Cariaso as assistant coaches. The two new assistant coaches will be joined by current assistant coach Koy Banal.[3]

De La Salle Green Archers

With the departure of Jong Uichico, De La Salle University has announced that it has chosen Tim Cone as the new team consultant of the De La Salle Green Archers.

External links

• Philippines Basketball Association website
• Alaska Aces roster
• http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/332732/alaska-turmoil-cone-out

References

Preceded by Bogs Adornado	Alaska Aces Head Coach 1989-2011	Succeeded by Joel Banal
Preceded by Norman Black	Philippine national basketball team Asian Games head coach 1998	Succeeded by Jong Uichico