Austria earns fourth ‘Coach of the Year’ title

MANILA, Philippines — San Miguel Beer coach Leo Austria will soon be needing space for another Coach of the Year trophy.

For the fourth time in the last five years, the SMB mentor will be the recipient of the coveted Virgilio ‘Baby’ Dalupan trophy in the annual PBA Press Corps Awards ceremony.

Austria, 62, edged Barangay Ginebra coaching great Tim Cone for the honor, which is named after the late great “Maestro” of Philippine basketball.

The crowning glory for Austria will have to wait further, however, as the awards rites, originally scheduled last March 16 at the Novotel Manila in Araneta Center and to be aired over Cignal TV, had been postponed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Austria, the PBA Rookie of the Year in 1985, clinched the award annually handed out by the men and women who regularly cover the PBA beat, after guiding San Miguel to back-to-back championships in the 2019 season, including a record fifth straight crown in the Philippine Cup.

Following their title triumph in the mid-season Commissioner’s Cup, the Beermen earned a shot at the rare grand slam, but faltered in the homestretch of the Governors Cup, which Cone and the Kings eventually won.

But there was no denying Austria, who now owns a total of eight championships since becoming San Miguel coach in 2014, of winning the honor once again.

The soft-spoken coach from Sariaya, Quezon made history three years ago when he became the first to win the award three seasons in a row and earned the right to keep the Perpetual Trophy – first handed out in 1993 – permanently.

He lost to Magnolia’s Chito Victolero for the 2018 award.

The Coach of the Year title is the fourth for Austria, moving him solo at No. 2 in the all-time winning list after previously being tied with Cone and Ryan Gregorio.

Chot Reyes, the former Gilas Pilipinas mentor, tops the honor roll as the only five-time winner of the award.

Other multiple winners are Yeng Guiao, Jong Uichico and Perry Ronquillo with two each for a tie at No. 4.