PNVF eyeing Tai Bundit to replace Jorge Souza de Brito as Alas Pilipinas’ new head coach

For Alas Pilipinas, heartbreak struck once again on Southeast Asia’s biggest stage. In a tense, emotionally charged bronze medal match at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games, the Philippine men’s volleyball team fell just short against Indonesia, losing a narrow 26–28, 25–13, 28–30, 24–26 clash at Bangkok’s Hua Mark Indoor Stadium.

The defeat marked the fourth consecutive SEA Games in which Alas Pilipinas lost to the same rival in a bronze medal battle, extending the country’s volleyball medal drought to 20 years.

The continued absence from the podium has sparked criticism, particularly aimed at head coach Jorge Souza de Brito. Newly-elected Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) president Tonyboy Liao has already hinted at a coaching change, with decorated Thai tactician Tai Bundit eyed to take over once De Brito’s contract expires.

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“He is on our wishlist right now, of course, it still depends on whether Rebisco will release him. As we all know, he is currently the coach of Criss Cross, so he has his own team. I have already talked to him about it and he is very interested. The only thing we are waiting for now is the go signal from Rebisco management,” Liao told reporters.

“I have also spoken with the Thailand volleyball federation, and they are very willing to help the Philippines, so there is no problem on that end. We are just waiting for Rebisco’s go signal, if they will allow him to coach the national team,” he added.

PNVF president Tony Boy Liao is looking at bringing in Thai coach Tai Bundit to take over the Alas Pilipinas women’s volleyball program.

Current head coach Jorge Souza De Brito’s contract with Alas will expire by the end of 2025.@tribunephl @TribuneSportsPh pic.twitter.com/hkpwhmydBt

— Mark Escarlote (@fromtheriles) December 16, 2025

Liao confirmed that the PNVF will hold a board meeting after the conclusion of the SEA Games to discuss De Brito’s replacement. Although the option to extend the Brazilian’s contract existed, the federation opted not to pursue it.

“After the game, we felt we should have won, but that was the result and we have to accept it. We lost. You could really see how much our players wanted to win, especially the younger ones. Even though many of them were first-timers in the SEA Games, they gave it their all. It’s just really unfortunate.

“As for the team, like they always say, we have to go back to the drawing board. First of all, De Brito has finished his contract, so most likely we will be changing coaches. When I get back to the Philippines, we will hold a board meeting to discuss who could replace him. We will also look into whether we can get a Filipino coach, but we need to study that carefully since many of the top local coaches are currently busy with PVL teams and university programs,” Liao continued.

Tai Bundit is no stranger to Philippine volleyball, having led several high-profile teams to success. The Thai coach is currently at the helm of the Criss Cross King Crunchers, who recently won the Invitational Conference at the Spikers’ Turf. He previously coached the Ateneo women’s volleyball team from 2014 to 2018 and the Creamline Cool Smashers from 2017 to 2021, guiding both teams to multiple Premier Volleyball League (PVL) titles.

“Everyone also knows that I was the one who brought coach Tai to the Philippines — he started with Ateneo, then moved on to Creamline, Adamson, and now Criss Cross. He is a championship coach. All the teams I mentioned won titles under him. I’m not saying it’s just luck — Ateneo won back-to-back, Creamline won one championship, Adamson won the title in just one season, and most recently, Criss Cross,” Liao said.

Meanwhile, De Brito leaves a notable legacy with Alas Pilipinas. Under his guidance, the team had a breakout year in 2024, winning three bronze medals across the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Nations Cup and Southeast Asian Volleyball League legs in Vinh Phuc and Nakhon Ratchasima. In 2025, the Brazilian coach led Alas to a Nations Cup silver medal and added two more bronze medals in the V.League.

Despite the SEA Games setback, the foundation laid by De Brito, coupled with the potential arrival of Bundit, gives Philippine volleyball fans hope that Alas Pilipinas could soon return to the Southeast Asian podium.

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