The contribution of coaches to a game can't be stressed enough. One ingenious play drawn by a clever coach could spell the difference between winning and losing. As a matter of fact, just one in-game adjustment made by the coach could change the flow of the game in favor of his team. That's how important coaches are in steering a team towards winning. They can adapt real time to their opponent's move because they, like a general looking over his troops on a vantage point, can see what the players on the floor couldn't.
For the longest time, only few coaches were given the chance to mentor a professional or semi-professional team since there's only 12 teams in the PBA. Fortunatley, we are thankful that we now have the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) where local coaches all over the Philippines can showcase and test their mettle. With 30 teams participating in the coming Lakan Cup this June 2019, this means that there will also be 30 head coaches plus many more assistant coaches who will try to outwit and outmove the other in each and every game.
Let's get to know the floor tacticians who made a mark during the recently ended Datu Cup of the MPBL.
Coach Randy Alcantara (San Juan Knights)
Coach Randy is perhaps the most recognizable and sought after head coach in the MPBL right now after his team took home the Championship trophy in the just concluded Datu Cup. While we may have witnessed his glory in winning the grand prize last season, his journey towards the throne was not mere accident.
Not everyone may know it, but Coach Randy is a basketball player himself. He played college ball with the Mapua Cardinals before he declared himself eligible for the PBA draft. Fortunately for the young kid, Coach Randy was drafted on the third (3rd) round of the PBA draft in 1998 by the Formula Shell Zoom Masters.
His PBA career didn't pan out though as he ended up playing in the Metropolitan Basketball Association (MBA) with the Laguna Lakers, Pangasinan Presidents, and the original San Juan Knights. Incidentally he played under coach Philip Cezar when he was with the San Juan Knights.
As fate would have it, the MPBL North Division finals between the San Juan Knights coached by Randy Alcantara and the Manila Stars mentored by Coach Philip Cezar became a mental duel between a master and his student. We all know Coach Randy outwitted his former teacher after the Knights edged the Stars, 2-1, in their series. Viewed on another perspective, his victory over coach Cezar could also mean that coach cezar was a good mentor but coach Randy was a better student.
It's also interesting to note that Coach Alcantara won a championship with the San Juan Knights, first, as a player then as a coach. He could possibly be the only Filipino who achieved such credential.
Before taking a coaching job in the MPBL, Coach Alcantara hone his coaching skills in the NCAA juniors division where he mentored the Mapua Robins starting in 2008. At that time, the Juniors basketball program of Mapua leaves much to be desired. As a matter of fact, he went winless (0-14) in his first year as head coach for the young Robins.
But little by little and after putting in much hard work, the Robins slowly gained prominence after they were able to land in the final four. Such feat made them a choice destination for sone of the blue chip recruits.
In his last five years, Coach Randy carried the Robins to the championship four times and won the title in 2016 and 2018. In his last year as coach of the young Robins just this 2018, he brought home the 22nd championship trophy for the Robins which tied the record of San Beda red cubs for the most title in the NCAA Juniors Basketball.
What made such accomplishment sweeter is the fact that he coached the Robins while simultaneously guiding the San Juan Knights in the MPBL. And now that he is an MPBL champion too, he is set to elevate his coaching career further.
He will replace Coach Atoy Co as the head coach of the seniors team of Mapua this upcoming 2019 season. It seems like he has too much on his plate, especially since the Knights will be defending their crown, but we are sure he can handle it.
Let's see if Coach Alcantara can make history as the first MPBL coach to win a back-to-back title.
Coach Don Dulay (Davao Occidental Tigers)
The wounds and the ache of losing the MPBL Championship might still be fresh on the mind of Coach Dulay. But as with all other competitors, life goes on as his team is raring to make another shot in winning the much envied MPBL Championship trophy.
Coach Dulay did not really plan to coach an MPBL team. When he heard that the Davao Occidental province joined the league as one of the 16 expansion teams in its second season, he attended their tryouts hoping to play for the Tigers. However, fate has a different plan for him.
He was asked by the team if he could be the coach instead. He of course agreed and the rest was history.
Prior to taking the head coaching gig in the MPBL, coach Dulay was already serving as an assistant coach in the philippine Basketball Association (PBA) for the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters team. He remained as an assistant coach for the Painters while calling the shots for the Tigers in the Datu Cup.
But for the coming Lakan Cup of the MPBL, Coach Dulay just announced that he will leave his coaching job with Rain or Shine in order to focus full time with his coaching job with the Davao Occidental Tigers. As per coach Dulay, it was a mutual decision for the best interest of either parties.
Similar with coach Randy Alcantara, coach Don Dulay also played basketball professionally in his younger years. Standing at 5'8, the fil-american guard applied for the PBA draft in 2006 but he went undrafted.
He was later on signed by the Welcoat Dragons for the 2007-2008 season of the PBA. He stayed with the Welcoat team which was eventually renamed as Rain or Shine Elasto Painters until 2011.
Afterwards, he transferred to the Alaska Aces in 2011 which was the last year he played in the PBA. In the succeeding year, he took his talent to Singapore to play for the Singapore Slingers of the Asean Basketball League (ABL) from 2012 to 2013.
His tenure with the Slingers was his last stint as a professional basketball player. He then became inactive from the basketball scene until he joined the coaching staff of the Elasto Painters in 2017.
Coach Dulay is happy to take part in the MPBL. While he failed to win the MPBL National Finals crown, he still has enough gas on his tank to try again.
Coach Jojo Lastimosa (Bataan )
Coach Jojo Lastimosa needs no further introduction being a member of the 25 greatest PBA player of all time. Every pinoy basketball fan is very much aware of his exploits in the PBA especially during his prime years.
Right when he joined the PBA in 1988, he immediately made an impact on the league as he won the Rookie of the Year award. Since then, he accumulated almost all possible hardware for his trophy case.
In addition to his ROY award, he was a 10 time PBA champion which include the 1990 3rd conference, 19691 3rd conference, 1994 Governor's, 1995 Governor's, 1996 All-filipino, 1996 Governor's, 1996 Commissioner's, 1997 Governor's, 1998 All-filipino and 1998 Commissioner's Cup.
If that's not enough, Coach jolas was selected as a three-time PBA mythical second team, three-time mythical five member, 10-time PBA all-star, and 1996 All-filipino Cup Finals MVP.
Clearly, his achievements speaks for itself. He indeed belong to the all time greats who ever played in the PBA.
After his retirement from basketball in 2002, he returned in 2013 as an assistant coach for the Alaska Aces. Then in 2014, he transferred to the coaching staff of the NLEX Warriors where he remains as an assistant coach until now.
Last year, he agreed to coach the Bataan Risers while still part of the coaching staff of the NLEX Road Warriors. Apparently, the Risers team is also related with the MVP group; thus the coaching connection.
Under Coach Jolas, the Bataan Risers made a strong run to secure the number one (1) seed after they registered a 24-1 record in the elimination round. They, unfortunately, faltered in the second round of the playoffs after they were upset by the fourth seeded Manila Stars.
With the shocking early playoffs exit of the Risers, Coach Jolas was sacked and will be replaced by Coach Jong Uichico for the upcoming third edition of the fast growing MPBL.
Pocholo Villanueva (Makati Supercrunch)
Coach Cholo Villanueva and the Makati Supercrunch will be best remembered as the record owner of the longest winning streak in the young history of the MPBL. The team ended the elimination round of the Datu Cup with a blistering 15-game winning streak to lock in the second seed in the competitive North Division.
As the second seeded team, they earned a homecourt advantage against the Quezon City Capitals. But since the Supercrunch does not yet have a true homecourt due to the ongoing renovation of the Makati Coliseum at that time, they were forced to play their home games at the Ynares Arena in Pasig.
As a result, their impressive record in the elimination round turned to naught after they were stunned by the gutsy Quezon City Capitals in just the first round of the MPBL playoffs. What was supposed to be an easy series win for the Supercrunch resulted to an embarrassing exit.
Determined to bounce back, the Supercrunch are preparing hard for another shot at the national championship trophy. If his team will be successful, Coach Cholo can add another trophy to his collection.
Coach Cholo had a taste of what it 's like to be a champion. He won the UAAP championship for the De La Salle Green Archers in 2001 and 2007 and he was in fact named the finals co-MVP in 2007 together with JV Casio.
While he was selected13th overall in the 2008 PBA draft, his professional basketball career didn't blossom compared to his peers such as JV Casio. Nevertheless, he was given an opportunity to be an assistant coach of the Shopinas franchise under the tutelage of his former college coach Franz Pumaren. He was also part of the coaching staff of the Jose Rizal University (JRU) Bombers from 2014 to 2018 and of the DLSU Lady Archers since 2016 up to the present.
At age 36, coach Cholo can be considered as a young coach compared to other mentors. But don't count him out yet since he proved he can turn a team without superstars into a winning machine.
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