How Ayo got La Salle job

Aldin Ayo was fresh from coaching Letran to the NCAA title last year when he thought of taking a break from the game. He was burned out, his personal life was in a shambles and he wanted some space to reinvigorate.

Ayo was in the process of disengaging from the Knights when late last November, a call came from someone in San Miguel Corp. chairman Eduardo Cojuangco, Jr.’s staff. Ayo will never forget the moment.

“I was in Sorsogon, driving my car when I got a call from my cellphone late morning on a Monday,” he said. “I didn’t recognize the number so I hesitated to take the call. My mind was somewhere else at that time. I had already talked to my close friends, my former seminary classmates, about leaving Letran. Anyway, I decided to pull the car to the side and take the call just the same. It was someone from Mr. Cojuangco’s staff talking about an opportunity to coach La Salle. At first, I thought it was a prank. I told him I would think it over and call him back. Then, I called coach Glenn (Capacio) to ask if the guy I spoke with was for real. When I got the confirmation, I called back. I was invited to explore the possibility in Manila the next day.”

Ayo said the prospect of coaching a top-caliber team like La Salle for a man like Cojuangco blew him away. He left Sorsogon at dawn the next day for the long drive back to Manila. Ayo recalled that the Letran priests had assured him of his release if ever there was an opportunity to improve his career elsewhere. He would be forever grateful for that assurance.

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On his way to Manila, Ayo got another call from Cojuangco’s staff. He was invited to meet with Cojuangco himself at the New World Hotel in Makati. The original plan was to meet with the staff at Starbucks near the San Antonio Church in Forbes Park. Because Ayo left Sorsogon early, he had already hit the Skyway by about 1 p.m. So he got to New World by 2 p.m. and was brought to a function room at a Chinese restaurant where Cojuangco hosted lunch for La Salle school and team officials. It was Cojuangco himself who wanted Ayo to join La Salle after Juno Sauler resigned as head coach last season.

Ayo was overwhelmed by the presence of Cojuangco and the La Salle officials. When Cojuangco asked him if he would coach the Archers in the coming UAAP season, he cleared his throat and said yes unconditionally. There was no talk of a contract, no negotiation of terms – just a handshake to seal the deal. It was destiny that called Ayo and La Salle together. For Ayo, it was also a leap of faith.

When Cojuangco had asked his staff to contact Ayo, there was no available number to call. Someone had to ask Ayo’s number from Migol Marcelo who used to work with Ayo at Kia. Migol, whose grandfather Narciso Pineda is a close friend of Cojuangco, said he hadn’t seen Ayo since they both left Kia over six months ago and didn’t know if he had changed his number. Luckily, Ayo still had the same number. One other thing, Cojuangco had called a meeting with the team to introduce a new coach on Wednesday. He didn’t meet Ayo until the day before.

Ayo told Cojuangco he would advise the Letran priests of his decision on Wednesday morning. By noontime, the Letran priests had given their blessing and Ayo phoned Cojuangco’s office to confirm his acceptance. That evening, Ayo was back at the New World Hotel where Cojuangco introduced him to the Archers as their new coach. About 30 minutes earlier, Ayo had agreed to terms to coach La Salle in a private meeting with Cojuangco’s staff.

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“It was never about money,” said the 39-year-old Ayo. “It was for the love of the game. Here was an opportunity to get involved in a major basketball program. I wanted to prove that a province-based coach could do it in the UAAP where the level of basketball coaching and playing is extremely high. I knew I would get the support of Mr. Cojuangco and the Lasallian community and I wanted to develop a team that could win with hard work. It was a chance of a lifetime.” Ayo was hurt by insinuations in media that he was enticed with a huge contract and a report said P9 Million was involved. The amount is exaggerated and farthest from the truth.

 Ayo lost his father when he was only four months old. His father, an Army sergeant, was killed in a Muslim rebel ambush at a military encampment at dawn in Basilan, the day before he was to take a leave to attend his only child’s baptism. Ayo was raised by his mother who never re-married. His mother Eduarda grew the family business to a successful enterprise with interests in rice, agriculture, poultry and piggery and provided for all of her son’s needs. Ayo studied at the Our Lady of Penafrancia seminary then went to San Beda briefly before enrolling at Letran where he played on two NCAA title squads in 1998 and 1999 with Kerby Raymundo, Jason Misolas and Chris Calaguio. He became his mother’s partner in managing the family business and a well-loved councilor in Sorsogon. But his passion for the game eventually brought him back to Manila.   

When Ayo took La Salle to the Filoil Flying V championship last June, he got the surprise of his life. Fr. Lino Juta, who gave him his first coaching job at Aemillianum College in Sorsogon in 2010, came with Fr. Javier San Jose with whom he worked in teaching kids at an orphanage in the province. They were with St. Jerome Emiliani and Sta. Susana parish priest Fr. Melchor Umandal, another Somascan priest. Fr. Lino and Fr. Javier hadn’t seen Ayo since he left Sorsogon to try his luck in Manila as a coach five years ago. So their reunion was sentimental. Ayo and the priests had tears in their eyes when they embraced.

When Ayo clinched the UAAP crown last Wednesday, the three priests were back in the stands cheering for their hero. They were together again during the victory dinner and enjoying the habit.