An old hand in Philippine basketball will be taking over to lead the Gilas Pilipina 3x3 program in its bid to qualify for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.

The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) formally appointed Ryan Gregorio to serve as 3x3 program director, a development that came at the heels of the Filipino cagers’ dismal performance in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games last month.

But what made the setback truly disappointing was the fact that the Filipinos won the gold medal in 2019 Games in Manila, finished third in Hanoi in 2021 and bagged the silver in 2023 in Cambodia, prompting SBP executive director Erika Dy to state that there will be some changes in the national 3x3 program.

The 53-year-old Gregorio is no spring chicken.

Aside from being the younger brother of Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman Patrick “Pato” Gregorio, Gregorio also used to serve as special assistant to SBP president Al Panlilio aside from being a three-time Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) champion and three-time PBA Coach of the Year.

He will be replacing former PBA star Ronnie Magsanoc, who has been handling the role since 2019.

The federation said Gregorio has the experience and expertise to lead the program to greater heights.

“He has vast experience in Philippine basketball that includes three PBA championships and three PBA Coach of the Year awards,” the federation said in a statement on Friday.

“Gregorio’s mandate will be to ensure success for both teams and engage the Philippine 3x3 community with more initiatives.”

DAILY TRIBUNE tried but Gregorio has yet to send a comment.

But the job that awaits him will not be easy.

Aside from that forgettable SEA Games performance, where the Filipinos bombed out of the medal podium for the first time since the sport was introduced in Manila in 2019, the men’s squad had also failed to reach the quarterfinals of the FIBA Asia for three straight years.

They, however, second in their conference in the U23 Nations League while making multiple appearances in the FIBA 3×3 World Tour this year, highlighted by the SBP-hosted 2025 FIBA 3×3 Manila Challenger, where they reached the quarterfinals against Europe’s top clubs.

In the distaff side, the women’s team achieved a top-four finish at the FIBA Asia Cup in Singapore while playing their final three games with just three players, boosting their global rankings.

With Gregorio now calling the shots, the federation is expected to create a pool that will boost the squads composed of naturalized player Ange Kouame, Joseph Eriobu, Joseph Sedurifa and Janrey Pasaol in the men’s division and Mikka Cacho, Kaye Pingol, Reynalyn Ferrer, and Jhazmin Joson in the women’s side while getting a lot of foreign training and exposure in a bid to qualify for the Summer Games in 2028.