Arturo "Turo" F. Valenzona (born November 5, 1942), is a former

Filipino Filipino may refer to: * Something from or related to the Philippines ** Filipino language, standardized variety of 'Tagalog', the national language and one of the official languages of the Philippines. ** Filipinos, people who are citizens of th ...

basketball player and head coach. Valenzona played college ball for the

Far Eastern University Far Eastern University (Filipino language, Filipino: ''Pamantasan ng Malayong Silanganan''), also referred to by its acronym FEU, is a Private university, private non-sectarian Liberal arts college, liberal arts university in Manila, Philippines ...

before eventually playing in the

Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association The Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association (MICAA) was a sports association which existed in Manila, Philippines from 1938 to 1981. Throughout its existence, it staged various sports and was participated by prominent Philippine co ...

and later in the

Philippine Basketball Association The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is a men's professional basketball league in the Philippines composed of twelve company-branded franchised teams. Founded in 1975, it is the first professional basketball league in Asia and is the se ...

with U/Tex.

Coaching career

After his playing years, Valenzona coached the FEU Tamaraws to several championships in the UAAP and the Intercollegiate tournament. He gave Solidmills one interclub and one MICAA title, and led APCOR to six straight championships. He was also coach of the RP Youth team in 1978 and 1980. He assisted coach Nic Jorge during the 1978 Bangkok Asian Games. Valenzona was a low-key coach who made very smart decisions on the bench, particularly in clutch situations. In the PBA, Valenzona became head coach of Gilbey's Gin at the start of the 1982 season, replacing Nemie Villegas, he led Gilbey's to three runner-up finishes from 1982-1984. The following year, the La Tondeña ballclub decided to replace him but he was soon back at the bench when

Tanduay Tanduay Distillers, Inc. () is a Philippine alcoholic beverage company. It is a subsidiary of LT Group, a conglomerate owned by Filipino business magnate Lucio Tan. As of 2019, it is the world's largest rum brand. History Tanduay traces its or ...

offered him a coaching job later that year, replacing Orly Castelo. In 1986, Valenzona had a memorable year, leading Tanduay Rhum Makers to their first PBA title and two straight championships. He added another title when the Rhum Makers went home with the Open Conference title in 1987. He moved to the Hills Bros bench in the third conference of the 1987 PBA season and led the Coffee Kings to a runner-up finish. Aside from the PBA, he simultaneously coached a commercial ballclubs in the PABL, first with Golden Rice Cereals in late 1984, and later on with Hope Cigarettes, RFM-Swift's and the comebacking

Crispa 400 Crispa 400 was the name of two amateur basketball teams owned by P. Floro and Sons, Inc. that played in the Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association (MICAA) from 1977 to 1981 and the Philippine Basketball League (PBL) from 1989 to 19 ...

in 1989. Valenzona led the collegiate team San Sebastian College to four consecutive men's basketball championships in the NCAA from 1993-1996. He was the first president of the Basketball Coaches Association of the Philippines in the 1990s.

Political career

Valenzona ran for councilor of Manila from the fifth district in 2016.

Collegiate record

References

Living people 1942 births Filipino men's basketball coaches Tanduay Rhum Masters coaches FEU Tamaraws basketball players Basketball players from Manila Philippines men's national basketball team players Filipino men's basketball players Filipino sportsperson-politicians Politicians from Manila FEU Tamaraws basketball coaches Barangay Ginebra San Miguel coaches Alaska Aces (PBA) coaches Pop Cola Panthers coaches San Sebastian Stags basketball coaches {{Philippines-basketball-bio-stub