For the first time in more than a decade, Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas is handing the future of Gilas Pilipinas Women to a completely new voice.
And it is a voice shaped far away from Philippine basketball.
After months of quietly searching overseas for the right fit, the SBP officially named Burke Toews as the new head coach of the national women’s team, signaling the federation’s intent to push the program toward a more international direction.
Toews arrives with a résumé built in Japan — one of Asia’s strongest basketball systems — where he spent the last decade establishing himself as one of the winningest coaches in the women’s professional game.
The Canadian mentor recently wrapped up a highly successful run with the Fujitsu Red Wave, steering the club to back-to-back league championships in 2024 and 2025 while also capturing consecutive All-Japan titles.
More importantly, his success was not built overnight.
Across 10 seasons with Fujitsu, Toews transformed the Red Wave into a consistent title contender, leading the team to five finals appearances while earning three Coach of the Year awards along the way.
Long before that, he also guided the Hyogo Storks to a JBL2 championship in 2013.
Now, the challenge becomes entirely different.
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BT IS GILAS WOMEN HEAD COACH
The SBP has appointed decorated Canadian coach Burke “BT” Toews as its new head coach following his championship-winning stint with W.League’s Fujitsu Red Wave#ReadMore
https://t.co/nfuezNWPpX#LabanPilipinas pic.twitter.com/VmftZd9Hwy
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) May 20, 2026
Toews takes over a Gilas Women program entering a transition period after the end of the long tenure of Pat Aquino, who spent 12 years helping elevate the national team into a respected force in Southeast Asia.
Under Aquino, Gilas Women produced some of the biggest milestones in program history, including a breakthrough appearance in the Women’s World Cup qualifiers in France and multiple strong finishes in regional competitions.
But with Aquino now moving to the PBA as head coach of Blackwater Bossing, the federation chose to reset the direction of the program rather than simply continue the old system.
According to the SBP, Toews emerged as the choice after an extensive global search involving more than a dozen applicants from different countries.
The hiring also reflects the federation’s growing admiration for Japan’s basketball development model — a system known for discipline, player movement, and long-term continuity.
Now, the responsibility of translating that success to the Philippine setup belongs to Toews.
And with Gilas Women already coming off some of the biggest breakthroughs in its history, expectations may arrive much faster than the usual rebuilding process.
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