Veteran coach Yeng Guiao has left the Air 21 Express to join the Rain or Shine Elastopainters. The news was confirmed to GMANews.TV by current Rain or Shine coach Caloy Garcia, who will slide down to become Guiao’s deputy on the bench.

The announcement comes after weeks of speculation about the future of Guiao, whose contract with Air 21 expired last December. It didn’t seem like the team was particularly keen on retaining Guiao, considering that the team that it has been almost two weeks and the team hasn’t even made a decision on their coach’s status.

It should be noted that the team’s management, the Lina group, did not hire Guiao to coach the team originally; Harbour Centre owner Mikee Romero was in talks to buy the franchise at the time, and negotiated Guiao’s transfer to the team in 2009. But the sale to Romero fell through, and the Lina group once again assumed control of the team.

Since then, Guiao’s stint with Air 21 has been beset with all kinds of turmoil, from the fire sale of star players such as Cyrus Baguio and Arwind Santos, to the Japeth Aguilar saga, to the Wynne Arboleda incident. Other top players such as Alex Cabagnot and Mike Cortez also spent a few months with the team before being traded away, with Air 21 having little to show for them apart from future draft picks.

Hope was high heading into the season with the entry of top rookies Nonoy Baclao and Rabeh Al-Hussaini, but the team’s new twin towers didn’t do much to improve the team’s fortunes, as Air 21 finished 7th in the Philippine Cup.

Guiao’s exit continues the Air 21 franchise’s tradition of ignominious partings with its coaches; the franchise also had bitter goodbyes with former coaches Derrick Pumaren, Bonnie Garcia, and Bong Ramos, all after short stints with the team. Only Bo Perasol, whom Guiao replaced, seemed to have a stable stint with the Express, coaching the team for four years. As shitty as the track record of Air 21 has been with players, it has been almost as bad with coaches. Allan Gregorio, the team’s current team manager (and the Val Sotto of the Gregorio clan), is probably the odds-on favorite to be the next coach of the team.

Meanwhile, Guiao’s transfer to Rain or Shine should be interesting. The team underachieved in the Philippine Cup, placing 8th, despite nearly making the semifinals a year ago. Their conference was marred by a feud between Garcia and Sol Mercado, the team’s temperamental star guard. It should be interesting to see how Guiao and Mercado will deal with each other. How will the fiery coach react when his star player throws a tantrum? And how will the guard take it when Guiao whispers sweet nothings into his ears? I’m as curious about it as you are.