Norman Black out as Meralco head coach; Luigi Trillo takes over

MANILA, Philippines – The Meralco Bolts made major changes in its coaching staff on Monday, May 8, replacing longtime coach Norman Black with former assistant Luigi Trillo.

Black, arguably the most accomplished player-turned-coach in league history, will vacate his post and take on a new role as team consultant.

“I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to the Meralco management and the MVP group for supporting myself and the Bolts,” Black said in a statement.

“In addition, I wish to thank the players and my coaching staff for their hard work and positive attitudes in their efforts to make the team successful over the years,” he added.

“I now look forward to helping the team in my capacity as team consultant in our continued quest to bring a championship to the Meralco franchise.”

In his nine-year stint as head coach, Black took the formerly sleepy franchise to new heights, leading them to four PBA Governors’ Cup finals appearances with import Allen Durham.

However, the team failed to get over the hump every time as they were halted by the Justin Brownlee-led Barangay Ginebra.

Meralco was also a model of consistency in recent conferences, making it to six out of the last seven semifinals the league had staged.

On the other hand, the Bolts appointed Serbian Nenad Vucinic as an active consultant, joining Trillo on the bench.

Trillo brings his experience and familiarity with the team, which he handled as an interim head coach at the start of the 2022-2023 PBA season, when Black attended to his dying mother in the United States.

Under Trillo, the team tallied a 7-4 record by the end of the Philippine Cup eliminations, ousting tormentors Ginebra in the quarterfinals for the very first time, before yielding to eventual champions San Miguel.

As a head coach, Trillo led the defunct Alaska Aces franchise to its last PBA championship in the 2013 Commissioner’s Cup Finals, defeating Ginebra in a sweep, 3-0.

The team thanked Black for his contributions as shot-caller.

“We thank Coach Norman for his unwavering commitment and the indelible mark he has left on the organization. We are also grateful to have Coach Nenad and Coach Luigi taking on new roles in leading the Bolts,” said team manager Paolo Trillo, incidentally Luigi’s brother. – Rappler.com