SAN JUAN (FIBA AmeriCup 2017) - Puerto Rico are keeping faith in Eddie Casiano and leaving the coach in charge of the men's national team for another four years.

The long-time Boricua player took the helm earlier this year and coached the side at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Belgrade. Puerto Rico beat Latvia to reach the Final but then suffered a heavy defeat to Serbia in a battle for a ticket to the Rio de Janeiro Games. 

Yum Ramos, the president of the country's basketball federation, decided Casiano deserved a chance to continue.

"This is an opportunity to give continuity to the work," Casiano said to El Nuevo Dia. "I want to thank Yum for the confidence and the backing of four more years in order to work in all phases of the program.

"In recent years, there have been so many changes of coaches. Now, there is a short-term and long-term strategy from the youth national teams to the seniors."

Omar Gonzalez will serve as the technical director for the youth national teams while Rafael 'Chino' Torres will serve as director of operations. The three worked together this past summer with Gonzalez serving an assistant coach and Torres working as a scout. Manolo Cintron, a former national team coach who also assisted Casiano this summer, will continue in that capacity.

Casiano coached Puerto Rico to 2016 Centrobasket Championship glory

Puerto Rico won the Centrobasket earlier this year with Casiano at the helm. They will take part in the FIBA AmeriCup 2017 and then look to start their qualifying campaign for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 in China.

FIBA