COACH TIM CONE

Coaching career


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.
New Contract


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]
Trivia

• Cone is known as the only head coach in the PBA to wear a
  long-sleeved shirt and tie during games. He once wore a short-sleeved
  shirt in 2006 before reverting back to his usual look. His previous
  assistant coaches, Joel Banal and Chot Reyes, as well as other coaches
  like Louie Alas and Ariel Vanguardia, have taken up the practice on
  multiple occasions as well.