THOUGHTS | CHARLES TIU IS NOW THE PHOENIX HEAD COACH

“Truly excited and humbled to be joining the Phoenix Fuel Masters, but not leaving Benilde at all. I repeat, there is no Benilde exit. I intend to coach both teams, and whatever ‘title or position’ is irrelevant to me.”

Those were the words that came out of Charles Tiu’s X account.

Once rumored to be the next Converge FiberXers coach because of his ties with Strong Group Athletics, Tiu is now set to spearhead Phoenix’s resurgence. His arrival, of course, coincides with the departures of Willy Wilson and Jamike Jarin.

Wilson is out as head coach after a conference with the squad. It is also worth remembering that he spent five seasons as a player for Phoenix, although the first half of that run was under the old Barako Bull management.

Meanwhile, Jarin arrived in 2023 and was able to replicate the team’s best finish in the 2023–24 PBA Commissioner’s Cup, largely because of the stellar play of Best Import winner Johnathan Williams.

At first, Tiu seemed to downplay the news of his move. But that actually made sense. Media people are always bent on breaking stories, and floating or denying a potential coaching gig can sometimes create unnecessary noise. In many ways, it felt more proper that the actual employer broke the news alongside their new head coach. For both parties, that signals trust and alignment.

And now, the writing is clearly on the wall: Tiu is looking to reshape Phoenix according to his own vision.

Within hours of his appointment, reports surfaced that several Fuel Masters had allegedly been released.

When Wilson was still playing for the squad, RJ Jazul was his teammate, while RR Garcia was still an integral part of the opposing team's rotation. Jjay Alejandro, who sat out the 2025–26 Philippine Cup, along with Sean Manganti, Yousef Taha, and James Kwekuteye, were also reportedly placed on the unrestricted free agent list.

On the surface, this looks drastic. Six players let go at once is not exactly a minor housecleaning. But when you look deeper, it actually tracks.

Jazul, Garcia, and Taha have an average age of 38.3, while Alejandro and Manganti have both been victims of start-and-stop pushes in recent years. The biggest surprise, though, is Kwekuteye. The former San Beda Red Lion can absolutely shoot the lights out when given freedom on offense. But it also feels like he needs to be ball-dominant to truly unlock his scoring potential, which may not fit what Tiu wants moving forward.

As it stands, Phoenix is left with 11 players, with the soon-to-be 34-year-old Jason Perkins serving as the team’s elder statesman.

That said, Tiu has plenty to work with.

He still has a solid core in Perkins, Kai Ballungay, Tyler Tio, Ken Tuffin, Evan Nelle, and Bryan Santos. Tiu was actually part of the Converge coaching staff when Santos was drafted, so there is already familiarity there.

How fitting it is, then, that JL Delos Santos, another player Tiu coached with the FiberXers, is now a free agent?

There is also the growing buzz that Francis Escandor’s father is backing Phoenix, which opens the door for players like CJ Austria and Joshua David to potentially land contracts with the Fuel Masters.

And then there is the Benilde connection.

When Tiu nearly led the CSB Blazers to an NCAA championship, one of his key players was former NCAA MVP Will Gozum. Gozum played sparingly with the MPBL’s Quezon Huskers, largely because of the serious ACL and MCL injuries he suffered a couple of years ago.

We have seen this movie before: coaches taking chances on their former college players in the pros. It would not be shocking if Tiu reunites with Gozum, or even players like Miggy Corteza, JC Cullar, Robi Nayve, or Makoy Marcos somewhere down the line.

And then there is the other elephant in the room.

What are the chances of a Matthew Wright return now that Phoenix is seemingly back in “fighting mode”?

For eliminated teams, this two-month break almost feels like a midseason preseason. It gives franchises time to reset, retool, and rethink their direction.

For Phoenix, that reset now officially belongs to Charles Tiu.