Who will coach RP 5?

Sometime this coming week, the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) and the Basketball Association of the Philippines (BAP) will jointly name the coach of the national team bound for the Asian Games in Pusan, Korea, next year.

Under the terms of a Memorandum of Agreement binding the PBA and the BAP, the pro league has blanket authority to appoint the head coach. In turn, the head coach will name one of two assistants. The BAP will designate the other assistant coach, expected to be David (Boysie) Zamar.

The rumor is the PBA will choose from three nominees – Ron Jacobs, Joseph Uichico and Perry Ronquillo. A fourth possible option is Tim Cone.

So whom will the PBA bless?

Among the four candidates, Jacobs is the only one to hold the distinction of beating Asian powerhouse China not once but twice in international competitions.

In 1982, Jacobs coached the Philippines to a 74-63 win over China in the finals of the Asian Basketball Confederation (ABC) youth or juniors tournament before a wildly-cheering overflow crowd of over 25,000 at the Big Dome. Jacobs’ squad listed Hector Calma, Uichico, Tonichi Yturri, Teddy Alfarero, Derick Pumaren, Leo Austria, Elmer Reyes, Richard Mendoza, Louie Brill, Jun Tan, Alfie Almario and Rey Cuenco.

In 1986, Jacobs stuck it to China again — this time, leading the Philippines to an 82-72 decision for the 13th ABC men’s crown in Kuala Lumpur. His team was made up of Calma, Allan Caidic, Samboy Lim, Franz Pumaren, Reyes, Yves Dignadice, Jerry Codinera, Yturri, Dennis Still, Jeff Moore, Pido Jarencio and Almario.

An ABC source said the Chinese and Koreans not only respect Jacobs, they fear him. "When Jacobs is on the bench, they’re intimidated," noted the source.

Jacobs also brought honor to the country by leading Northern Cement to the 1981 Jones Cup title and San Miguel Beer to the 1985 championship. He took Northern, an amateur guest club, to the 1985 Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Third Conference title, too.

In 1997, Jacobs was voted Coach of the Year by the PBA Press Corps even as his team, San Miguel, failed to win a single title. That was a clear tribute to his coaching genius. In the PBA this season, he sat on the Barangay Ginebra bench as a consultant.

Jacobs earned a Master’s degree in physical education at the University of Southern California. In 1967, he began his coaching career at Morningside High in Los Angeles. In 1974, he was named South Bay Coach of the Year and California inter-scholastic federation Coach of the Year for leading Morningside to the prep championship.

From Morningside, Jacobs made his way to El Camino Junior College. In 1979, he was voted Community College Metropolitan Coach of the Year for his efforts at El Camino. That paved the way for his entry into NCAA Division I. In 1979-80, he was recruited to replace Dave Benaderet as varsity coach of Loyola at Marymount University. A tall order faced Jacobs who inherited a lowly squad that had a 5-21 record the previous season. But he overcame the odds and led the Lions to the NCAA Tournament. That earned for Jacobs the West Coach Athletic Conference Coach of the Year award.

After a season at the Loyola helm, Jacobs was invited by Ambassador Eduardo (Danding) Cojuangco to visit the Philippines and try his hand at coaching the national squad. Since then, not only has Jacobs reaped honors for the country but he has also produced other coaches – like Uichico, the Pumaren brothers, Yturri, Eric Altamirano, and Caidic – to follow in his footsteps.

This year, Jacobs, 58, is celebrating his 20th anniversary in Philippine basketball.

Uichico, 39, is a Jacobs disciple. He won PBA Coach of the Year honors last season and has led San Miguel Beer to three of the last four league championships. In all, Uichico has bagged five PBA titles.

Ronquillo, 36, is a two-time PBA Coach of the Year awardee. He steered Shell to the 1998 Governors Cup and 1999 All-Filipino Cup titles. At the 1994 Hiroshima Asian Games, he was the amateur assistant coach in Norman Black’s staff. Black’s chief assistant was Uichico and Jacobs was a consultant.

Cone, 43, has won 10 PBA titles and coached the nationals to third place at the 1998 Asian Games. He’d like nothing better than a chance to get back at Korea and China in Pusan.

There are 10 factors I consider to be crucial in choosing the national coach:

• Experience. It’s the "been there-done that" advantage. In Pusan, the national team can’t afford to be coached by a newcomer – considering China and Korea are old warriors in the trade. Let’s not forget Lebanon which dislodged Korea in second place at the last ABC tournament. Lebanon’s coach is National Basketball Association (NBA) veteran Johnny Neumann.

• Familiarity. The coach must know what it’s like to play under international rules which are radically different from the PBA’s pro rules. He must be quick to adapt to situations.

• Backup. His supporting cast must be top-notch. The BAP said it will accredit only two assistant coaches. But there may be room for at least another assistant coach since the BAP has committed to work for the accreditation of three more persons in the team support staff.

• Respect. The coach must command respect. The players whom he’ll choose for the national team must be prepared to die for him on the floor. That means the coach must also be prepared to die for his players off the floor.

• Maturity. The coach must know when and how to stay cool, flare up, and rant. It’s all part of the game. The coach’s job is mental and that involves maturity.

• Resourcefulness. No doubt, the coach must know how to get things done – like how to obtain tapes of China and Lebanon when they play at the World Championships in Indianapolis from Aug. 29 to Sept. 8 next year. Of course, his library must be stocked with tapes of every significant game played at the last ABC Championships in Shanghai. His scouting reports on each Asian Games entry must be comprehensive. In Pusan, he’s got to be armed with video cameras, recorders and players.

• Dedication. The coach must devote all his waking hours to the task ahead. No short-cuts, no breaks. It’s a full-time job because it requires a full-time commitment.

• Motivation. The coach must want to win. Desire is important. It shouldn’t just be a job – it should be a devotion.

• Winnability. Consistency as a winner is critical. The coach must be known as a winner. His reputation must strike fear in the hearts of the opposition in Pusan.

• Accessibility. The coach can’t be a closet worker. He’s got to be accessible to the media, fans, and the players. He’s got to know how to play ball with the public. It’s not just about Xs and Os. It’s also about getting the country to support the mission and building a winning atmosphere for the players.

Given the 10 factors, the choice is clear. It’s Ron Jacobs.