MANILA, Philippines – Norman Miguel has been named by Chery Tiggo as its head coach for the 2024–25 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) season.

Kungfu Reyes, who will become an assistant coach, gives way to Miguel.

Miguel is excited to take on the new task. Miguel is well-known for his successful time at National University, when he helped the Lady Bulldogs win the UAAP Season 86 Women’s Volleyball championship.

Miguel clarified that when he first got the contact from Coach Aaron Velez, he was concentrating on another volleyball-related business responsibility. The possibility to coach in a professional league, an atmosphere with greater challenges, made the offer difficult to turn down. Miguel viewed this as an opportunity to challenge himself and see how far he could go in the professional circuit by trying his skills at a higher level.

He saw this new position as a big step forward in his career since it would allow him to experience coaching a professional club. Miguel had been a member of the coaching staff in the past, but this was his first time leading a professional event. He thanked Chery for approaching him and said it was an honor to take on the role. This new task presented him with an exciting chance to lead and leave his mark in the professional volleyball scene, in addition to being a significant turning point in his coaching career.

Originally hired as Chery Tiggo’s head coach earlier this year, Reyes—who also serves as the head coach of the University of Santo Tomas—is now serving as Miguel’s assistant coach.

Reyes greeted Coach Norman with much affection and highlighted his invaluable background as a National University champion tactician. He underlined that the players would gain a lot from Coach Norman’s experience, especially as they get ready for new challenges. Reyes is well aware of Coach Norman’s strategic insights and winning mentality, which he feels will be a huge advantage to the Tigresses, having faced Norman’s Lady Bulldogs in the UAAP Finals.

Securing Coach Norman’s pledge to give the club his entire attention and time is a significant advantage, according to Reyes, particularly with the All-Filipino Conference approaching. Bringing in a coach with such experience is regarded as essential to the team’s overall plan and preparation for the competition. Reyes described his own position inside this new coaching structure, saying that he intended to support Norman as an assistant coach.

Having had a comparable position in the past, Reyes believes he is qualified to offer the assistance and direction required to help lead the team successfully. He is excited to work alongside Norman, hoping to help lead the Tigresses achieve their objectives. Reyes underlined his dedication to collaborating closely with the new head coach and easing his assimilation into the group dynamic. The coaches’ cordial rapport and friendly atmosphere created the foundation for a fruitful collaboration with the common goal of improving the team’s performance in the cutthroat All-Filipino Conference.

Miguel went on, “In terms of ‘yung relationship, hindi na ibang tao sa akin sila Coach Kungfu,” in reference to his new position and his working relationship with Reyes. In the past, we worked together with the Amihan and Bagwis national teams. We even collaborated during my coaching tenure with the university, UST.

Building and reestablishing ties within the team, especially with the players, was highlighted by the new coach as a top goal. He said that several of the players at Chery today had been coached by him in the past, which lays the groundwork for reestablishing contact and building a close relationship. He told the players that building a good rapport would be his first priority because, in his opinion, this is the most important part of coaching.

With the goal of improving the team’s performance by cooperation and respect for one another, the coach is dedicated to incorporating his methodology while upholding the established processes. His emphasis on developing relationships is consistent with his coaching tenet, which holds that effective communication and trust are essential to success. He wants to establish a cohesive environment where players feel empowered and can perform to their fullest ability on the court. To that end, he is integrating his methods with those of the current coaching staff.