Black remains Eagles coach; Adornado to handle Falcons

Norman Black, who came within seconds of handing Ateneo its fourth crown in Game Three of the UAAP title clash with eventual champion University of Santo Tomas, will stay as coach of the Blue Eagles in the varsity league’s 70th season next year.

"He will still be our coach," said Ricky Palou, Ateneo’s UAAP board representative, told The STAR yesterday.

Black is currently in Toronto attending a basketball camp set up by the Toronto Raptors. He left the morning after the Growling Tigers’ 76-74 pulsating win in Game 3 Monday. From there, the veteran mentor will proceed to Baltimore, Maryland to visit his parents.

"I’ll be out of the country for a while but I’ll be back in two weeks," said Black.

However, Black will handle a team without three of seasoned starters in JC Intal, Doug Kramer and Macky Escalona, who have completed their eligibility years in the UAAP.

But the former PBA grand slam coach remains undaunted on a tough team rebuilding the Eagles will undergo in the off-season and the kind of program he would implement for the team to be a top level squad in the UAAP.

"That was the same question people asked me when LA Tenorio left us and yet we came a few shots short of winning the title," said Black.

Black, who won 10 titles in the PBA, nine for San Miguel and one for Sta. Lucia, said he expects Chris Tiu to pick up the cudgels.

"He should be our main man next year," said Black referring to the sweet-shooting Tiu.

Palou, for his part, said they might tap some big men from their second team and a number of recruits from the Eaglets, who downed the Far Eastern U Baby Tams for this year’s UAAP juniors title.

"We’ll probably get one or two big men from our team B and maybe some from our high school team," he said.

Meanwhile, Adamson, which made it to the Final Four this year but lost to Ateneo in the semis, has tapped William "Bogs" Adornado as the Falcons’ new mentor.

This came after a selection committee headed by school officials Frs. Greg Banaga and Max Rendon, CM, reportedly voted unanimously for Adornado, named one of 25 greatest players in the PBA, to take over from coach Leo Austria.

Austria is currently calling the shots for the Welcoat Dragons in the PBA. He steered the Marcelino-based school to its first ever UAAP semifinals appearance since the Final Four format was introduced.

"I just came from Adamson and they voted for me to coach the basketball team," Adornado said.

Adornado virtually assumed the post last Monday in preparation for the Champs League unfolding today. The Falcons will be battling the University of Visayas Lancers on Monday at the UST Gym.

Adornado, a former basketball player of the year, started coaching in the early 90s for Crispa in the PBL and led the team to the title in the first conference in the league.

He was a member of the UST team that was declared joint champions with the UE Warriors in the UAAP in the late 60s.

He then moved to Ateneo de Manila as shooting and skills development coach in 2001 under then Eagles mentor Joe Lipa before going to the Falcons early this year.

Next UAAP season, Adornado will try to lead the Falcons to their first title since going all the way in 1977.

" I’ll do my best to achieve that if given the chance," said Adornado. — Joey Villar