Coaching Search: Replacing Norman Black

With Ateneo announcing Black's departure after Season 75, Blue Eagles fans have already whipped themselves into a frenzy over who his replacement should be. Black leaves a large pair of shoes to fill, especially if he exits with a fifth straight title in hand, so there's absolutely no pressure on the next guy (that's sarcasm, by the way). Who's available and how likely is that person going to be the choice? Here's a semi-serious look at a list of candidates, with some gambling odds thrown in.

 Olsen Racela: 2-1
After retirement, Racela was installed as the head coach of the RP Under-16 team which bagged fourth place in Vietnam last October, losing only two out of their eight games. You can argue if there's more pressure coaching a national squad or coaching Ateneo, but the point guard considered by many to be the best in the business back in the day would carry a lot of good will into the job, and perhaps more importantly, will be able to steer some of his U-16 charges towards the blue and white.


Sandy Arepacochaga: 3-1
Jamike Jarin: 5-1
If you're looking for continuity in the basketball program, the best thing to do would be to elevate one of these two Norman Black assistants to the big chair when he leaves. Arespacochaga can't be blamed for a third place finish in his one stint as head coach as that was the season Larry Fonacier went down with an ACL injury. Surely he deserves a second chance? Alternately, you could go with Jarin, who steered the Blue Eaglets to multiple titles, even before a kid named Kiefer Ravena became part of the squad. That said, Jarin could be eyed to take the San Beda head coach position should Frankie Lim incur an extended suspension, though things could change in the light of Norman's exit.

Leo Austria: 25-1
I put Austria on this list despite having no clue how many years he still has on his contract with Adamson, but here are a few things I do know: Austria is possibly the most brilliant tactical mind in the UAAP next to Black, and has done great things with an Adamson team that doesn't have near the resources of an Ateneo. More importantly, he seems like the type of person Black would wholeheartedly endorse after the two coached a mix of Falcons and Eagles in Hong Kong two years ago. Plus, his other son Ged Austria, is presumably enrolling in Katipunan this upcoming school year so who knows?

Ricky Dandan: 40-1
Despite currently employed as the head coach of the UP Fighting Maroons, Dandan has quite some links to the other university on Katipunan. He used to be an assistant for Joe Lipa when Lipa was head coach, and then became the director of Ateneo's basketball program up until he left for UP. Perhaps he gets lured back to his old stomping grounds, this time as the head coach?

Yuri Escueta: 75-1
The current head coach of Ateneo's Team B could in theory move up to Team A, and Escueta was coached by Black in the past, so he could conceivably implement Black's system. However, let's not forget that Escueta has just a year under his belt at this very moment of coaching said Team B. Perhaps if Black was leaving in five years, not one.

Chris Tiu: 100-1
Well, Tiu doesn't seem interested at all in the PBA, and he was quite the disciple of Black, so maybe he makes the leap to coaching? He could probably help channel talent from Xavier School to Ateneo, and younger brother Charles could even be an assistant, splitting time with his duties on the Powerade staff.

 Chot Reyes: 150-1
Maybe we've got this MVP coaching carousel all mixed up and Reyes becomes the odd man out in the big leagues, sending him back to the collegiate game. While part of him might relish the idea of piloting his alma mater, it seems like he's destined for bigger things like the National Team, so this one feels like a bit of a reach.

Jong Uichico: 200-1
Uichico used to be part of Black's coaching staff in Magnolia, and is currently not doing anything besides consulting for Meralco. Plus, his son was a Blue Eagle (albeit, a benchwarmer) for a season or two under Black. Maybe he takes the job to stick it to La Salle for not getting him when Dindo Pumaren resigned? He has said though that he refuses to coach Ateneo, but maybe MVP can convince him otherwise? 

Rajko Toroman: 400-1
Hey, Toroman only has a two-year consultancy contract with SMC. Maybe he gets bored just sitting around consulting and wakes up one morning to find out that MVP is dangling him an offer that doubles his salary to coach Ateneo, with someone like Arespacochaga filling in the 2013 season as interim head coach. Maybe we'll see an influx of Serbian-Filipino big men don the blue and white if that happens?

Frankie Lim: 500-1
Let's say the NCAA ManCom suspends him for a year and San Beda decides for continuity purposes to get a new head coach. Well, what nice timing because Norman Black leaves after a year! Lim can certainly keep the Blue Eagles' talent pipeline brimming, and he's a proven winner at the collegiate level. Sure Red Lions fans will be calling foul, but the look on the Semerads' faces is going to be priceless as they try to transfer once again.

Erik Spoelstra: 1,000,000-1
Imagine this: the Heat get the number one seed in the East, and face off against the New York Knicks in round one of the playoffs. Linsanity breaks out and the Heat get ousted in five games. Pat Riley makes the hard decision to let Spoelstra go and takes over the team, leaving Spoelstra out in the cold. Doesn't MVP call him up immediately and ask him to fly over to Manila? Plus, the kicker: Spoelstra's high school was a Jesuit high school, and Ateneo is run by Jesuits, great fit!

Other Random Names: Kirk Long (has said in an interview that he wants to coach, but he probably didn't mean this quickly after graduating college), Joe Lipa (age might be a factor), Ronnie Magsanoc (MVP guy, but seems more likely to be an option for San Beda), Lawrence Chongson (purely for the lolz), Larry Brown (has said he will coach anything, even a high school team, but Ateneo might be a stretch)

A Coaching Carousel for the MVP Teams?

Could Norman Black take his magic back to the PBA? (pic source)

Here's what came out in today's Philippine Daily Inquirer, under the headline "Norman Black to Talk 'N Text, Chot Reyes to Smart Gilas five?" :

"Norman Black is set to make a return to the Philippine Basketball Association as a coaching rigodon is expected to be formalized this month involving teams bankrolled by business tycoon-sportsman Manny V. Pangilinan.

The arrangement will include coach Chot Reyes moving over to the Smart Gilas national team from Talk ‘N Text in the PBA.

But there’s a catch.

A source privy to the details of the arrangement told the Inquirer that even after the deal is made official, it will only be put in motion after the 2012 UAAP season.

Black will move to the Talk ‘N Text camp while Reyes will replace Serbian Rajko Toroman, who was offered the consultant’s post at Smart Gilas after serving as its head coach."

That rang a bell in the heads of a few posters in the online community as it sounded awfully familiar to what a certain "jamalsampson" had posted in the Interbasket forums on a thread about the Philippine Under-16 team about a month ago that went something like this:

"there is new talk within the MVP circle that there will be a rigodon of coaches in his backyard. (but they get to steal one coach from the otherside). Its like a wholesale promotion for everybody.

Rajko Toroman might not be re-signed or is to be retained as consultant

Chot Reyes is to assume the Head Coach position and Project Director for the new generation of GILAS whose core would come from the SEA Games bound SINAG.

Norman Black would go back to the PBA and replace Chot Reyes as Talk N Text Coach.

Olsen Racela is to go back to his Alma Mater and become the new Head Coach of the Ateneo Blue Eagles.

Getting his opportunity to Coach the U18 National Team is Jamike Jarin.

Ryan Gregorio retains his current positions at MERALCO.

Ronnie Magsanoc moves to San Beda Mendiola as Head Coach.

Frankie Lim retains his position at Maynilad but gets a executive position.

Boyet Fernandez retains his position in NLEX." 

A few thoughts:

1. "Rigodon," a word my MacBook's dictionary does not recognize, is actually a variant of "rigadoon" or "rigaudon," which is "a French baroque dance," according to Wikipedia. Now you know! 
2. I think Coach Toroman did a great job given what he had at the time. It was a bit unrealistic to assume that the Philippines would be able to just return to the forefront of Asian basketball in a blink of an eye. Keeping him establishes continuity and a system, which are both important things if we want to really pursue that Olympic dream
3. If you're going to replace Toroman, doesn't it make more sense to replace him with Coach Black, seeing as how he assembled and will coach the Sinag team for the SEAG aka Gilas V2.0? 
4. Not sure how I feel about Olsen Racela as Ateneo head coach. I haven't seen him coach enough of the RP U-16 team to make an informed decision, but if or when Black moves on, he leaves some pretty big shoes to fill and I don't think Racela, who has coached for less than a year if I'm not mistaken, can even come close to filling them. 
5. Why stop at a five-peat? Because it's one more than Franz Pumaren? If Ateneo keeps winning, then I say keep Black, especially if the door is open to match or even exceed Baby Dalupan's record. 
6. I get the feeling that if Black leaves, so too does Kiefer Ravena. That might just be me though. 
7. Who would I pick to coach Ateneo if Black left? Leo Austria would be at the top of my list, with Jamike Jarin second (should it be Jarin, we would live in a world where the Blue Eagles pressed more than the Green Archers).
8. That said, Jarin deserves a high-profile gig like the RP U-18 team. Plus, if past history is any indication, the combination of Racela currently handling the U-16 and Jarin helming the U-18 means Ateneo will get a huge edge in recruiting the blue chip players that make up those squads.
9. I'm not sure how thrilled San Beda fans would be with Magsanoc at the helm. There has always been a segment of Red Lions fans unsatisfied with Coach Lim, but you have to give credit where it is due, Lim does a masterful job shuffling the minutes of a stacked squad, and has crafted a Team B that could take over for the current Team A with little to no downgrade, save perhaps for a lack of depth. 

Obviously, the first domino to fall will what happens when Toroman's contract expires in November. Until then though, this is a ton of speculation that may not actually result in anything.

Brian Organ Returns to the US

Surprising news out of Taft as Jim Organ, Brian Organ's father, has taken to ArcherPride to confirm that he and his son have opted to return to the United States instead of waiting out the residency period to play here for La Salle.

Says Jim Organ:

"With regret i will confirm.. it is true; Brian is going back to the US. Things did not work out for Brian, He leaves with a heavy heart. I would like to thank everyone for all the Good things Done for my son and the Generosity ,Support and Kindness shown to him [sic]."

The departure of the Organ boy makes it the second lost recruit out of the DLSU D-Team (Developmental Team). Earlier in the summer, power forward Andrew Harris was listed under the CSB Team B roster for the Sandugo PSC Collegiate Development League, but he never played, and was rumored to have transferred to UP. 

The remaining names to take note of from the DLSU D-Team are Maoi Marcelino (eligible in S75) and JR Gallarza (eligible in S76). 

More Chris Newsome

The Philippine Star also had an article today further discussing 6'2" Fil-Am guard, Chris Newsome, whom Coach Norman Black is targeting for his SEAG roster.

Phl coach Norman Black said Chris Newsome, a 6-foot-2 sophomore at New Mexico Highlands University, will come over to seek his spot in the team, which will be gunning for its 15th SEAG cage title against what he described as improved rivals.

“He practiced with Ateneo the past school year and I can say he’s good, he really can jump and he’s very athletic,” Black said during yesterday’s Scoop sa Kamayan session.

Based in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, Newsome currently plays for the Cowboys in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, leading the squad to a 90-84 win over University of Colorado-Colorado Springs with 18 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals in their most recent game. Newsome will relocate to the Philippines after the season and play for Ateneo by 2013.

According to poster "yungha" in the Blue Eagles Nest forum of Gameface, Newsome will come over to the Eagles as a junior, meaning he will have two more years of eligibility as a Blue Eagle. In that same post, "yungha" also mentions that another SEAG potential player, 6'6" Anthony Hargrove, who is currently already enrolled in Ateneo, will have three years of eligibility when he's finished with his residency.

Due to Coach Norman Black's role as SEAG coach, many young Fil-Am players are being wooed to move over here and enroll in Ateneo, to further gain the benefit of his coaching. It's a big perk, and the talent he gets, though they'll have less eligibility years, will definitely be several steps higher than the fresh from HS foreigners other schools like La Salle have been signing up.

Chris Newsome is Set to Join ADMU

While other coaches zig, Coach Norman Black zags.

As the league around him reaches out to 6'5"+ centers of mostly African descent, Coach Black is going the other way, looking for athletic, defense-oriented ball handlers who can also score. And with Kirk Long on his way out after Season 74, it was only a matter of time before Ateneo found his replacement.

In a small line buried in an article about the SEA Games team that Coach Black is assembling, the Philippine Daily Inquirer writes:

[Chris] Newsome caught the eye of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas in previous batches of the national youth team.

“He’s also set to enroll in Ateneo this year,” Black said of Newsome, who averages 9.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.8 steals with New Mexico.

Here's his highlight reel from YouTube:



Patrica Bermudez-Hizon featured him on a Fit to Post article on Yahoo as well.