We’ve Figured Out Who Gabriel Medina’s New Coach Will Be

Last week, we spoke at length about Gabriel Medina relieving his step-dad and travel partner of 16 years, Charles Saldanha Rodrigues, of his surf coach duties.

We extrapolated about who might fill Charlie’s role, naming everyone from Glenn ‘Micro’ Hall to Jake ‘Snake’ Paterson to the NBA’s Dennis Rodman.

We also mentioned that Gabriel might lean on his pal Mick Fanning to provide some guidance on the topic, and that Mick would likely point Gabby in the direction of his longtime strategist Phil McNamara to fill the role.

Turns out we were wrong, but also a little bit right. According to our sources, Gabby did consult Mick, but rather than sending him to Phil, Fanning point Gab in the direction of Andy King.

A former coach of both Mick Fanning and Julian Wilson, Andy King is as respected as they come in the elite competitive sphere. He’s known to be a huge proponent of aggressive heat strategies and progressive surfing, both of which align with Gabby’s MO.

If our sources are correct, an official announcement of their pairing will be made soon.