BEHIND EVERY championship roster is a master tactician, and the Ateneo Men’s Basketball Team has found that in Head Coach Tab Baldwin. Taking under his wing a promising Ateneo core in the 79th season of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP), Coach Tab has claimed three straight chips in his first four seasons with the Blue Eagles.

On top of his success at the collegiate level, he has secured multiple championships in the international and professional levels. From his early roots coaching in the American collegiate circuit, Coach Tab’s 37-year career has garnered him head coach and consultancy roles around the globe—preaching and instilling his love for the game.

Humble beginnings

Hailing from Jacksonville, Florida, Coach Tab grew up in a basketball-loving household. At an early age, Coach Tab was already exposed to the game of basketball as his father coached the local Bishop Kenny High School. Although Coach Tab never played college ball, his position as a point guard sharpened his tactical brilliance in the game.

After graduating with an accountancy degree from the University of Notre Dame, Coach Tab decided to take a shot at coaching despite his father’s objections. His first competitive coaching stint was in the United States National Collegiate Athletic Association (US NCAA), where he coached Auburn Montgomery in Division 2 from 1983 to 1986 and the University of Central Florida in Division 1 from 1986 to 1988. However, after five years of collegiate competition in the US, Coach Tab decided to move to New Zealand.

In New Zealand, Coach Tab found success in the New Zealand National Basketball League (NZBL), where he garnered five championships and four NZBL Coach of the Year awards in 13 seasons. Aside from the NZBL, Coach Tab assumed head coaching responsibilities for the New Zealand Tall Blacks—the country’s national basketball team—from 2001 to 2006. His tactical brilliance steered the Tall Blacks to gold in the 2001 International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Oceania Championship, as well as a fourth place finish in the 2002 FIBA World Championship. As a result of his various achievements, the national government appointed him Honorary Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2003.

Apart from coaching in New Zealand, Coach Tab had stints in multiple professional leagues abroad. His career brought him to numerous countries such as Malaysia, Romania, Greece, Lebanon, Jordan, and China. One of his more notable accomplishments came with the Lebanese national team, whom he guided to the gold medal at the 2010 FIBA Asia Stanković Cup—now known as the FIBA Asia Challenge. Coach Tab also led the Jordanian national team to a silver medal finish in the same tournament the following year.

Keep the wheels rolling

In 2013, during his coaching stint with the NZBL’s Hawke’s Bay Hawks, Coach Tab had his first encounter with Gilas Pilipinas. During the national team’s 10-day training camp in New Zealand, Coach Tab assisted then-Gilas Head Coach Chot Reyes in the national team’s defensive structuring while also facilitating exhibition games in preparation for Gilas’ 2013 FIBA Asia Championship campaign.

Later that year, Coach Tab officially came on board as Gilas’ consultant; then, in 2015, the veteran mentor replaced Reyes as the head coach. At the helm, Coach Tab led Gilas to a championship in the 2015 Southeast Asian Games and first runner-up finishes in both the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship and the 2015 William Jones Cup. After stepping down as the national team’s main tactician in 2016, Coach Tab currently serves as Gilas’ program director. Throughout his involvement with Gilas, he has helped the national team become more competitive in the international stage—as evidenced by the country’s sixth place ranking in Asia and 31st ranking in the 2020 FIBA Basketball World Ranking.

However, Coach Tab’s stint in the country is not limited to Gilas, as the accomplished coach has extended his influence to the local collegiate basketball scene.

Back to basics

Following Ateneo’s crushing final four exit in UAAP Season 78, Coach Tab was brought on board to bring the Blue Eagles back to the promised land. Under his mentorship, Ateneo fostered a more team-based structure, as ball movement and effective communication on the floor became prevalent. As a result, the Coach Tab-mentored Blue Eagles established a dynasty—claiming the University’s ninth, 10th, and 11th championships in the past three years.

Aside from adding trophies to the Blue Eagles’ collection, Coach Tab placed emphasis on player development—helping talented players such as Japanese B.League-bound Thirdy Ravena and the 2019 PBA Special Draft first round selections Isaac Go and Nieto twins blossom.

Off the court, Coach Tab imparted discipline and focus as values that his Blue Eagles must carry into the classroom. “Without studies, siguro hindi naman ako makakapaglaro ng basketball kasi under Coach Tab ka, so you have to do it. Wala talagang magagawa kung hindi mag-aral (Without my studies, I would not be able to play basketball. Because under Coach Tab, you have to do it. You really do not have a choice but to study),” shared Ateneo Guard SJ Belangel.

However, it is not just Coach Tab’s rigorous system and high academic expectations that his Blue Eagles know him for, as he is oftentimes viewed as the team’s father figure. “As a third-year [player] pa lang, I treat him as a father, so I’d always look up to him. Magaganda ang mga ginagawa niya sa amin (As a third year student, I treat him as a father, so I’d always look up to him. He does so much good for us),” said Belangel.

Fueled for liftoff

Throughout his 37-year long career, Coach Tab has moved from country to country and attained success in each team he mentored. At every stop, the veteran mentor positively influenced everyone he has worked with by imparting his values of discipline and focus. As the future of the Blue Eagles and the Gilas Pilipinas program rests on his shoulders, the outlook of Philippine basketball remains bright with Coach Tab in the driver’s seat.