NEW BIG GUY ON THE BLOCK. Bo Perasol plans to have the Blue eagles run and gun the game. Photo by Ryan Y. Racca.
A NEW era of Ateneo basketball began last November 26 when university president Fr. Jose Ramon Villarin SJ officially named former Air21 Express and Powerade Tigers head coach Dolreich “Bo” Perasol as the 36th head coach of the Blue Eagles.
Perhaps the entire nation is curious to see how the Blue Eagles would perform under their new head coach. While thoughts of the coming season are psyching up die-hard fans of UAAP basketball, there is no group as critical and as excited as the Ateneo community—alumni, students, young and old—when it comes to their boys in blue.
Winning ways
Ateneo has one of the most decorated basketball traditions in Philippine collegiate basketball. From legendary team captains such as Olsen Racela and Vince Hizon, to the 2002 championship team that featured former UAAP Most Valuable Players Enrico Villanueva and Rich Alvarez, to the historic five-peat last year, Ateneo basketball’s legacy and prestige are indubitable.
Although the players on the court wrote history, they would be nothing without their mentors. Coaches like Joe Lipa, Baby Dalupan and Norman Black were the generals that made Ateneo teams into championship teams, immortalizing the school’s glory in the NCAA and the UAAP.
And now, it’s Perasol’s turn under the spotlight, as he begins to make his mark as head coach like his predecessors before him. Being the head coach of the Blue Eagles, however, is no joke, especially since the coach is subject to much pressure and scrutiny from the community to uphold a tradition of sports excellence.
It was after months of discerning that the search committee finally came up with a shortlist of candidates for the job and made a recommendation. “In the end, the search committee gave me one name. And it was Perasol,” revealed Villarin in a previous interview with The GUIDON.
But the biggest questions on the minds of many Ateneans are: who is Bo Perasol? What makes him the man for the job?
Getting to know Bo
A mass communication graduate of the University of the Philippines (UP), Perasol played for the Fighting Maroons from 1990 to 1995, where he eventually became team captain. Perasol also coached the high school team of his alma mater, the UP Integrated School, before becoming the head coach of Air21 Express in the 2005-2006 season of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).
Home for Perasol is in Santa Rosa, Laguna where he and his wife Reina own a nursery school. In fact, Perasol plans to take a Master of Business Administration degree from the Ateneo Graduate School of Business so he can help run the business better.
The former UP Maroon also likes to spend time on the putting green, though he admitted he isn’t that good. “Pang-class C lang handicap, 18 lang eh. (I’m only good enough for the Class C handicap because I’m 18.),” joked Perasol. “I love playing with my friends and college teammates.”
PBA career
Perasol didn’t win any championships in the PBA, but he coached the Air21 Express and the Powerade Tigers to finals appearances. In his first year as head coach of Air21, Perasol led the team to a historic third overall finish. Air21 upset top teams San Miguel Beermen and Talk N’ Text Phone Pals in the wild card and quarter final rounds, but lost to the Purefoods Chunkee Giants in the semifinals. Later on, Perasol willed Air21 to a first runner-up finish in the 2008 Fiesta conference, where they fell to Barangay Ginebra in game seven of the finals. He resigned as head coach following the end of the season.
Perasol became head coach for the Powerade Tigers in November 2009. Despite reaching the wildcard round with an 8-10 win-loss record, they were eventually eliminated by Rain or Shine. In the 2011-2012 season, Perasol and his Tigers went up against Chot Reyes’s Talk N’ Text squad, whom they lost to in five games. The team finished seventh out of 10 teams in both the Commissioner’s Cup and Governor’s Cup later that season.
Being the Powerade and Coca-Cola head coach for a combined nine years, Perasol only had two finals appearances. Most team owners might have released the coach, but it seems they saw Perasol’s effort to utilize what tools he has and translate it into wins.
Although he may be a hardworking coach who builds character in his players, critics still look for the bottom-line: a championship—the absence of which would not be taken so kindly by critics or Ateneans.
Coaching style
Perasol was known for his “run n’ gun” style of play, evident in his utilization of the guards in the teams he handled. Rey Guevarra, JV Casio and Gary David thrived in his system, thus enabling Air21 and Powerade to reach the postseason.
Furthermore, his youth is what enables him to still adapt to the ever-changing game of basketball.
“[Perasol] is an astute student of the game. He is tireless in trying to learn new ways to improve his coaching,” said Ateneo alumnus, professor and sports analyst Severino Sarmenta.
Perasol also connects well with his players. Sarmenta also noted that Perasol’s years in UP already make him familiar with an athletic system that prioritizes academics.
“Perasol knows what it means to be a student-athlete in a demanding university. He will understand our culture and community,” said Sarmenta.
However, Perasol is not as experienced as Black and has not represented the Philippines in international play.
Running game
According to Perasol, Ateneo needs to play the running game in order to win next year. “The run n’ gun style that were going to utilize [is] not because it’s my philosophy. We’ll utilize that out of necessity,” said Perasol. Throughout his coaching career, he has never had the luxury of coaching a team with a dominant big man.
When asked what part of Black’s system he will retain, he said, “I will definitely retain their defense. It’s not about how they defend; it’s how they emphasize defense [and] that’s what I like about their old system. [It’s] to take away the disadvantage of not having a quality big guy,” explained Perasol.
Sarmenta also commented that the style of Perasol would be a good fit for Kiefer Ravena. “Perasol is aware of Ravena’s talents and will give him all of the chances to shine while building support for him on the offensive end,” he said.
Given that the Ateneo lineup is still loaded with young talent, Perasol is in a good position to replicate his success with Air21 and Powerade. With the addition of 2010 New Mexico slam dunk champion Chris Newsome and the return of incoming superseniors JP Erram and Juami Tiongson, the Blue Eagles still have much championship potential, but their lack of post play will be a tough hurdle to overcome.
Expectations
Sarmenta expressed optimism in Perasol’s first year as head coach. “I think Perasol will be able to stamp his defensive philosophy on a team that is already accustomed to playing hard-nosed defense. He will need it to stop the offensive powerhouses like University of Santo Tomas, Far Eastern University and a resurgent La Salle team that is seriously rebuilding,” he said.
Meanwhile, Perasol is aware of what is expected of him. “Yeah, I’m pressured. For me it’s not just about me proving anything. It’s making the community happy and proud of the team. [Even though] we lost Greg [Slaughter], Nico [Salva], and even Kiefer, they will still expect that we’re going to win because of the tradition and I want to be part of that,” said Perasol. “It’s just going to be more difficult.”
But not all seeds that are sowed will immediately bear fruit. It took Black three seasons until he won his first title and before then, many wanted him out. Expecting Perasol to bring home a trophy one day, however, is only natural. It’s what he was hired to do: to continue the winning tradition. Comparing him to Black, on the other hand, may be unfair. Perasol, after all, is his own brand of coaching.
Come Season 76, Perasol will give it his all. That’s who Coach Bo is and the whole community will see why he is the chosen one. And with the full support of the Ateneo community, there’s no telling how he’ll deliver as a coach.
One thing is for sure: the Blue Eagles are still a team to contend with.
With reports from Robi R. Andres, Mateo L. Escueta and Noelle M. Recio
