Cebuano coach Joph Cleopas joins Converge team in PBA

CEBU, Philippines — It’s official.

Cebuano Joph Cleopas is now a member of the Converge FiberXers coaching staff in the PBA.

“Welcome to #PurpleNation, Coach Joph! The newest strength, conditioning, and skills coach of the Converge FiberXers,” the team announced on their Facebook page last Friday night.

The entry of Cleopas in Converge’s fold came just a day after Aldin Ayo took over as head coach of the FiberXers.

Upon signing the deal, Ayo has already made known that he will be bringing in the 34-year-old Cleopas, one of his reliable deputies during their days with the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Growling Tigers in the UAAP, as his strength and conditioning coach with Converge.

Before becoming Ayo’s trusted lieutenant with the Growling Tigers that finished runner-up to the undefeated champions Ateneo Blue Eagles in the 2019 UAAP season, Cleopas worked as assistant coach and skills and conditioning trainer of the San Beda Red Lions that won a 3-peat championship in the NCAA from 2016-2018.

Cleopas rose from his humble beginnings as varsity player of the University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) Baby Panthers in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) during his high school days.

Cleopas would later on become assistant of coach Albert Alocillo with the USPF Panthers in the CESAFI from 2011-2015. After that, he was hired as strength and conditioning coach of Batang Gilas in 2016.

Since then, he has made a lot of exposure in the field of coaching.

After his remarkable stints with San Beda and UST, Cleopas was named as head coach of the University of Perpetual Help System Junior Altas in December last year.

Prior to hooking up with Converge, Cleopas served as assistant coach of the Builders Warehouse-UST Tigers that reached the semifinal round of the 2022 PBA D-League Aspirants’ Cup.