Blackwater has assigned Ariel Vanguardia to take over the coaching reins from Nash Racela after the embattled squad made PBA history as the team with the longest losing streak.

The Bossing ended their Philippine Cup campaign in Bacolor, Pampanga without a single win in 11 games as they lost 19 straight matches dating back to the all-Filipino conference last season.

Blackwater owner Dioceldo Sy and governor Silliman Sy confirmed the personnel change, which will see Vanguardia serve as interim head coach for the second conference.

“Definitely it is going to be better than 19 straight losses,” said Dioceldo Sy when asked about his expectations for the Bossing moving forward.

Blackwater tapped the services of Racela two years ago with hopes that he will help the franchise turn its fortunes around.

Racela and Blackwater got off to a promising start in the Philippine Cup last season as they won two of their first three games, but the team fell into a slump and dropped its last eight matches to end the conference.

It did not help the Bossing that they did not have a first-round selection in the talent-laden PBA Draft earlier this year after including their pick in a previous trade with NLEX.

Blackwater lost its 11 games this conference by an average of 17.1 points.

Vanguardia returns to the PBA as coach after last handling Phoenix in 2017.

An assistant for Talk N Text and Barako during his earlier years in the PBA, Vanguardia made a splash in the ASEAN Basketball League as he guided the Westports Malaysia Dragons to the championship in 2016. – Rappler.com