Casiano wants to coach Puerto Rico

VERACRUZ (2015 FIBA Americas Championship) - Eddie Casiano showed plenty of moxie and fire when he suited up for Puerto Rico for more than a decade.

Now the long-time player, who is currently at the helm of DIRECTV Liga de las Americas side Halcones Rojos in Mexico, wants the opportunity to coach the Boricuas.

Let it be on the record that I am available. - Casiano

"Of course I'm interested in leading Puerto Rico," Casiano said to the Puerto Rican media.

"This is the highest aspiration of anyone that works in my profession."

Still only 19 at the time, the 1.92m guard came off the bench and hit a couple of three-pointers before finishing with 13 points in just 12 minutes of action.

Twelve years later and Casiano played an important part in one of Puerto Rico's most famous wins, a 92-73 upset of the USA on Day 1 of the competition at the Athens Games.

The Boricuas went on to reach the Quarter-Finals before falling to Italy.

Casiano stopped playing for Puerto Rico that year but continued to compete in the country's professional league, the BSN [Baloncesto Superior Nacional].

After his last season, with Indios de Mayaguez in 2008, Casiano began coaching the team in 2009 and was an immediate hit, guiding the team into the Semi-Finals of the post-season.

He was named Coach of the Year.

In 2012, he led Indios to their first BSN title.

Casiano is now in charge of Halcones Rojos of Mexico and currently has the club in the Semi-Final Round of the FIBA Americas League.

Spaniard Paco Olmos coached Puerto Rico to a runners-up finish at the 2013 FIBA Americas Championship but steered them to just one victory in Group B at last summer's FIBA Basketball World Cup, a 77-73 triumph over the Philippines.

Puerto Rico decided to cut ties with Olmos and put Carlos Calcano in charge for the Central American and Caribbean Games.

He guided the Boricuas to a third-place finish.

Now Casiano wants his chance to lead the team.

He firmly believes that for the national side to become a force outside of the Americas again, it needs to be true to itself and stop trying to adopt a European style of play, something it was attempting to do under Olmos.

"We have to rediscover our way of playing," he said.

We've been in decline for eight years and it has to stop. - Casiano

"We can't aspire to play a type of game in which we don't have the players able to play it.

"Maybe in the future generations, if you're able to work earlier (in their development) to play a more European style, but we have to take advantage of what we have now. 

"We have to forget the politics, the individual agendas and work together to take Puerto Rico forward."

Puerto Rico did have some good moments at the World Cup in Spain.

The aim for the new coach, whoever it turns out to be, will be to have a marked improvement on the World Cup performance.

Jose Barea, one of the most famous and experienced players in the national team, says he likes the idea of Casiano taking over if the country decides to have a Puerto Rican in charge.

FIBA