Ateneo taps Tab as team consultant

MANILA, Philippines - Ateneo yesterday said it would comply with the Court of Appeals ruling barring foreigners from taking over coaching jobs in the country’s professional and collegiate leagues.

Basketball Coaches Association of the Philippines president Alfrancis Chua told The STAR yesterday that Ateneo team manager Christopher Quimpo said the team would comply with the decision.

Chua was reacting to reports that American-Kiwi Tab Baldwin, the Gilas Pilipinas coach who was appointed last Monday by Ateneo as the new Blue Eagles’ mentor succeeding Bo Perasol, whose contract expired after the 77th UAAP season.

When asked by The STAR, Quimpo said: “We will comply,” without going into the details.

Ricky Palou, Ateneo’s representative to the UAAP board, said Ateneo is finding ways to resolve the issue with BCAP.

“I think the university officials will try to work out the issue with BCAP,” said Palou.

Insiders, however, said Ateneo can withdraw Baldwin’s Ateneo appointment and tap a Filipino coach while keeping the American-Kiwi as the team consultant.

Chua has maintained that Baldwin couldn’t coach in the UAAP for the same reason that prevented Barako Bull and San Miguel from appointing Rajko Toroman and Todd Purves as head coaches in the pros.

In fact, University of the Philippines also decided to appoint Rensy Bajar as the Maroons coach instead of American Joe Ward because of the previous CA ruling.

Interestingly, there is no rule in the UAAP barring foreigners from taking head coaching jobs in the league following the appointments of Thai Tai Bundit as Ateneo’s women’s volleyball coach and Korean Kim Chul Sul as Far Eastern U’s football coach.

For former BCAP chief Yeng Guiao, it can’t be in basketball.

“Anybody, not only BCAP, can challenge Baldwin’s appointment,” said Guiao, who was responsible for filing a case that led to the same landmark ruling many years ago.