Push Admin

SEA Games: ‘Coach Joe’ Devance is Cone’s extension in Gilas

Article (news)

Camille B. Naredo, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2019/sports/10/11/2019-pba-comms-cup-ginebra-devance.jpg"/><figcaption>His familiarity with head coach Tim Cone&#x27;s system and his knack for connecting with players got Joe Devance a job on Cone&#x27;s staff. PBA Media Burea/file</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA, Philippines—Pursuing a coaching career once his playing days are over is not something that Ginebra veteran Joe Devance has thought too deeply about.The versatile player was too focused on his career -- in recovering from one injury or another, in winning a championship, or nine of them. Coaching, he says, &quot;crossed my mind every once in a while,&quot; but it was not something he focused on.Thus, when coach Tim Cone approached Devance and asked him to be part of his staff for the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, the Ginebra forward had one response.&quot;I was shocked when he asked me. At first I thought he was playing, like, &#x27;Yeah right, coach, shut up, you just playing.&#x27; You know?&quot; said Devance.&quot;But he (Cone) was serious,&quot; he added. Cone included Devance in his coaching staff for the SEA Games, knowing very well what his player can bring to the table. The two have had great success in the PBA together, from their days in Alaska, to the Purefoods franchise, and now to Ginebra.Devance may have been surprised at Cone&#x27;s offer of a coaching position, but he immediately took the role seriously.&quot;Coach Joe, yeah, Coach Joe. He&#x27;s probably one of my most active coaches,&quot; said Cone. &quot;He has relationships with every player in the league. You know Joe, he&#x27;s a relationship guy. He gets along with everybody, and everybody knows him.&quot;&quot;So, he&#x27;s either talking socially or he&#x27;s talking basketball, but he&#x27;s always talking. He&#x27;s always communicating to the players. And again, he knows what we demand more than anybody. So I&#x27;m just real pleased that he&#x27;s here and helping us out. He&#x27;s a really good addition,&quot; he added.<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2019/sports/10/11/20191011-gilas.jpg"/><figcaption>Gilas coach Tim Cone (pictured) believes in Joe Devance&#x27;s ability to connect with players. &quot;He&#x27;s a relationship guy,&quot; Cone says. &quot;He gets along with everybody, and everybody knows him.&quot; Josh Albelda, ABS-CBN Sports</figcaption></figure></div>Now that the shock has worn off and the Gilas Pilipinas players are calling him &quot;Coach Joe,&quot; Devance can reflect on what it means to be part of Cone&#x27;s coaching staff for the SEA Games.&quot;It&#x27;s a great honor to be a part of something that means so much to the country,&quot; he said. &quot;I&#x27;ve always wanted to represent the country, I just thought it would be as a player, and not as a coach,&quot; Devance mused. &quot;But nonetheless, it&#x27;s very exciting, and I&#x27;m very honored to be a part of this team.&quot;Yet he is also aware of the challenge they face. The national team only has a limited time to prepare — a situation not unfamiliar to them — and they have to work double-time to master the plays that Cone is putting in on offense and the schemes he wants them to run on defense. This is where Devance&#x27;s true value comes in, as he considers himself an expert in Cone&#x27;s system already. &quot;I&#x27;m here to really just be the real extension of coach Tim,&quot; said Devance. &quot;I know his system just as much as, probably even more than the other assistant coaches, but don&#x27;t tell them that, though,&quot; he added. &quot;I do know his system the best, and again, I&#x27;ll just be the extension of him.&quot;Devance will have plenty of help in this regard, as six of the Gilas Pilipinas players are his teammates at Ginebra — Greg Slaughter, Japeth Aguilar, LA Tenorio, Stanley Pringle, Art dela Cruz, and Scottie Thompson. They make up the core of a veteran group that is already getting praise from Cone because of how quickly they are picking up his plays and schemes.These players now refer to him as &quot;Coach Joe,&quot; something that Devance can only laugh at.&quot;They&#x27;re calling me Coach Joe ever since Coach Tim asked me. They found out and stuff like that, and you know, &#x27;Hey Coach Joe what should we do?&#x27; You know what I mean?&quot; he said. &quot;I kinda joke around with the guys, like, &#x27;Man, where&#x27;s my whistle at, man? I&#x27;ma put &#x27;em on the line or something like that&#x27;,&quot; he added.&quot;(But) I&#x27;m really gonna cherish this time. I don&#x27;t know if I&#x27;ll have the opportunity to do this again. Just gonna have fun with it and really remember this times.&quot;<div>For more sports coverage, visit the <a href="http://sports.abs-cbn.com">ABS-CBN Sports website</a>. </div>

His familiarity with head coach Tim Cone's system and his knack for connecting with players got Joe Devance a job on Cone's staff.

His familiarity with head coach Tim Cone's system and his knack for connecting with players got Joe Devance a job on Cone's staff.

SEA Games: ‘Coach Joe’ Devance is Cone’s extension in Gilas

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Traffic

Manila

Horoscope

Sports

SEA Games: ‘Coach Joe’ Devance is Cone’s extension in Gilas

Camille B. Naredo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Oct 11, 2019 04:39 PM PHT

Read More:

Southeast Asian Games

2019 SEA Games

Barangay Ginebra

Tim Cone

Joe Devance

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.