Austria joins Ateneo as sports exec

MANILA, Philippines - Former Adamson Falcons coach Leo Austria is transferring “nest” as he is set to join the Ateneo Blue Eagles’ University Athletics Office.

Ateneo athletics director Ricky Palou said Austria will come in on April 1, though not to call the shots for the former champ Eagles.

“He’ll be helping the sports development program of my office, so he’ll be looking at all the different sports, sitting down with program heads and coaches and see what we can do to improve it,” Palou told reporters.

Austria left Adamson after Season 76, ending a seven-year stint highlighted by a Final Four appearance two years ago. He was replaced by former PBA star and AdU alum Kenneth Duremdes.

Part of Austria’s job will be to scout players for AdMU.

“We’ll also ask him to help look around, marami rin namang contact si coach Leo (coach Leo already has a network) so he should be able to help us in recruitment,” Palou said.

As to whether Austria will take over coaching chores for the Eagles later on, the AdMU exec said: “We have no plans for that right now because right now, we’re looking at him helping us improve our different programs.”

However, Palou said they will still be allowing Austria to take a coaching job on the side “as long as it’s not with any UAAP team.”

Meanwhile, Ateneo will be depending on the good graces of the Thailand Volleyball Association to get Anusorn Bundit back in the bench of newly minted volleyball queens Lady Eagles.

“We’ll have to deal with the Thailand Volleyball Association because he’s connected with them. May mga project sila (They have a lot of projects) and I think they’re looking at making him handle development. We don’t know if they’ll allow him to come back,” Palou said.

Bundit orchestrated a major turnaround for the young Lady Eagles crew with this “heart-strong” philosophy, tough training program and “play happy” outlook, steering them to a first-ever UAAP title at the expense of fancied La Salle Lady Spikers. 

“Seeing the Lady Eagles, you knew they’d win,” admitted DLSU’s representative to the UAAP board Edwin Reyes. “Did you see the fire in (the eyes of) those kids? Halimaw, eh (Simply monstrous). They deserve that (championship) clearly.”

The Lady Eagles had little time to celebrate and rest as they are slated to see action in the Shakey’s V-League. 

Bundit won’t be around, at least in the first two weeks of the tourney, according to Palou.