Rookie coach turned once doubting Knights into believers

MANILA, Philippines – If there is the key that unlocked the mystery of ending Letran's decade-long title-drought, it should be no other than its coach Aldin Ayo.

Just minutes after the Knights brought down the dynastic San Beda Lions in a gripping three-game finale to capture their first championship in the last decade, Ayo revealed how he made everyone believed they could achieve such near-impossible feat.

"Honestly during our team building before the season, I asked the players what's their goal this year," said Ayo, who became the first rookie coach to win a title since Boyet Fernandez steered San Beda to a crown two years ago.

"Many answered that making the Final Four would already be a big accomplishment. When I told them if they believe me if I told them we'll win the championship, many of them, as much as they try to conceal it, laughed," he added.

How could have the Knights won it?

They are coming off a miserable season when they failed to make even the Final Four for the first time in a long while.

The Knights have also kept the same roster minus some of their more reliable big men from a season ago, leaving them smaller.

But Ayo made a believer out of everyone by beating the Jose Rizal Bombers, one of the pre-season favorites aside from the Lions after a strong pre-season performance, in their second game of the season and eventually pulling the rug from under all other legitimate title contenders like San Beda, Arellano, Perpetual Help and Mapua one after the other.

"When we beat JRU in our second game, then everybody started to believe. When we beat all the other teams including the contenders, then everybody really believed we could actually win it," said Ayo.

"Even Fr. Vic said making the Final Four would be an accomplishment. But when we went 7-0 (win-loss) at the start of the season, he was telling me to go for the sweep," said Ayo, referring to Letran athletic moderator Fr. Vic Calvo, OP.

Ayo knew from the moment he entered Letran after he was named as its new coach that it was going to be tough convincing people to believe.

"The first time I went to Letran when I was named coach, the guard on duty didn't let me in. That's when I realized it's not going to be easy because the guards didn't even know me, more so the players," said Ayo.

Even Racal admitted he had no idea who Ayo is.

"I must admit that I really had no idea who coach is although I was told by the team utility that he played for Letran before," said Racal of Ayo, who played for the Knights when they won a championship in 1998 and 1999.

Ayo said the key was going down and giving himself fully to the players.

"I brought down myself to them without compromising authority," he said.