Oliver Bunyi will be assuming a familiar role as he formally joins the coaching staff of Topex Robinson at De La Salle University in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines.

Bunyi confirmed to Daily Tribune that he had already started his job as skills coach with the Green Archers last Monday.

Working with big men is nothing new for Bunyi, who played for the Green Archers in the late 1980s before joining the coaching staff of San Miguel Beer and Globalport in the Philippine Basketball Association until making his head coaching debut at Emilio Aguinaldo College in the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

At La Salle, he will join a powerhouse coaching staff that already has offensive coach Caloy Garcia and defensive mentor Mon Jose as well as Gian Nazario and JB Sison.

"First of all, I'm grateful to coach Topex for bringing me here," Bunyi, who also coached La Salle Team B in 2013 under his former college teammate Juno Sauler, said in a telephone interview.
"I was the coach of Team B in 2013 so it's like a homecoming for me in terms of coaching."

But more than becoming part of the coaching staff of one of the country's premier basketball programs, the 50-year-old Bunyi is excited to assume a role that has been very familiar to him as skills coach in charge of big men.

In fact, during his stint with Gilas Pilipinas under noted Serbian coach Rajko Toroman, he was tasked to work with the likes of Japeth Aguilar, Greg Slaughter, Jayson Ballesteros and Mac Baracael as well as naturalized player Marcus Douthit.