Almadro joins Petro Gazz

A week after losing its coach, Petro Gazz pulled off a recruiting coup when it tapped former national team mentor Oliver Almadro as head coach in the upcoming season of the Premier Volleyball League.

In a statement, the Angels announced that they hired Almadro to replace Rald Ricafort, the champion mentor who transferred to PLDT last week.

"New year! New beginnings! New heights! Let's all welcome Coach Oliver Almadro as the new head coach of the Petro Gazz Angels!" the Angels said in a social media post.

Almadro is bringing in a wealth of experience in the collegiate, club and national levels.

He served as head coach of the men's national team that saw action in the 28th Southeast Asian Games in Singapore and called the shots for the women's squad of Ateneo de Manila University in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines.

Prior to landing the Petro Gazz job, he coached Choco Mucho for three years, leading it to two consecutive semifinal appearances in the past two Open Conferences.

All in all, he tallied a 23-27 win-loss record as Flying Titans head coach.

The Flying Titans, however, tapped another former national coach in Dante Alinsunurin to serve as their head coach.

Almadro admitted that it wasn't easy leaving the Flying Titans.

Shortly after suffering a five-set loss to Akari in which the Flying Titans were torched by the 44-point explosion of Pricilla Rivera in the PVL Reinforced Conference last December, Almadro tendered his resignation, saying that he has to focus on his task of leading the Blue Eagles back to the UAAP throne.

"Though this may be abrupt and with heavy hearts, I have requested the Rebisco Management that I will be allowed to step down as head coach of the Choco Mucho Flying Titans," Almadro said in a statement last November.

"This is to allow me to focus on my duties and responsibilities as head coach of the Ateneo women's volleyball team."