Jarencio officially in as Tigers coach

The UAAP is getting to be a playground for former PBA coaches and players.

This after Pido Jarencio formally assumed the head coaching job for the UST Tigers yesterday to join the likes of Joe Lipa of State U, Norman Black of Ateneo, Dindo Pumaren of UE and Leo Austria of Adamson in Season 69 of the UAAP cage wars.

"Pido Jarencio will get his official appointment letter as UST head coach today (yesterday)," said UST senior board representative Felicitas Francisco.

The school is hoping that Jarencio could bring back the glory days of the school that has collected a total of 17 titles or co-titles including a rare four-peat from 1993-1996.

Jarencio, who played in the 80s for the España-based school then known as the Glowing Goldies, has replaced Nel Parado, who tried and failed to lead the team to a Final Four finish in the 2004 and 2005 seasons.

Jarencio was legendary in UST, having engaged then University of the East’s top gunner and now Barangay Ginebra team manager Allan Caidic to countless shooting duels in the UAAP.

Like Jarencio, Lipa and Austria have taken over as coaches of the Maroons and the Falcons, respectively, only recently.

PBA grandslam coach Norman Black debuted in the UAAP last year while Pumaren became UE mentor two seasons ago. Another former PBA star Glen Capacio is Bert Flores’ assistant at FEU.