NU coach rebuilding Bulldogs: Final Four Eric's target in 2012

MANILA, Philippines - For National University (NU) senior men’s basketball team coach Eric Altamirano, the goal is for the Bulldogs to be competitive this year preparatory to a Final Four push in 2012 when the school will host the UAAP in the 15,000-seat Mall of Asia coliseum now under construction.

Altamirano, 44, is in his first year as NU mentor. In 1996, he piloted the University of the Philippines, his alma mater, to the Final Four in the UAAP then moved to the PBA to coach Purefoods to the All-Filipino crown the next year. Altamirano also coached Mobiline and Coca-Cola in the PBA.

In 2004, Altamirano started the Coach E Basketball School which has become an institution with four modules catering to over 1,000 kids in the 5-15 age bracket every year. He found a calling in bringing the game close to the youth and three years ago, set up the National Basketball Training Center (NBTC) Development League to reach out to about 5,000 players in 300 private high schools all over the country. Last November, Altamirano opened a new NBTC program for 5,000 kids in 80 public high schools, nationwide, in coordination with the Department of Education.

“More than coaching, helping the youth is my passion,” said Altamirano who used to coach the national under-16 and under-18 squads. “We’ve had a lot of success with the Coach E School and we continue to run four modules a year. We’re also excited about the progress of the NBTC. We’re now on our fourth year with the private high schools. The NBTC has a strong training component where we conduct workshops not just tournaments. We use training modules and instructional videos.”

It was Altamirano’s dedication to the youth that led him back to the UAAP.

“Coaching NU and not my alma mater isn’t an issue,” said Altamirano who played on the UP squad that captured the UAAP title in 1986. “It’s like going full circle. I’ve served UP before. I think coaching NU is a great opportunity for me to extend my advocacy. I’ve worked with high school players and now I have a chance to see through their progress in college. It’s a huge challenge for me, particularly as we’ve set a high goal for the team. We want to be able to contend for the championship in two years.”

NU won its only UAAP title in 1954 and the last time it qualified for the Final Four was in 2001. Several Bulldogs have made it to the PBA, notably Danny Ildefonso and Lordy Tugade. Last season, the varsity took fifth place with a 7-7 record and nearly sneaked into the semifinals. NU should’ve hosted in 2010-11 but gave way to La Salle which is celebrating its centennial this year. La Salle was in line to host in 2012-13 – it switched with NU.

Back from last season’s NU cast are 6-3 Jeoffrey Javillonar, 6-7 Sam Mbe of Cameroon, 5-10 Joseph Terso, 6-0 Ajeet Singh, 6-1 Jul Ashri Ignacio, 6-6 Marion Magat and 6-4 Glenn Khobuntin. The rookies are 6-4 Cedrick Labing-isa, 6-4 Kyle Neypes, 6-4 Robby Celiz, 6-3 Denice Villamor and 6-5 Ray Parks.

“We’re hoping Ray plays this coming season,” said Altamirano. “He was born here and left for the US when he was 13. The Department of Education certified that he has complied with the requirements for a high school diploma. In fact, he was advised that it wasn’t necessary to enroll as a high school senior at NU. Ray attended first year at NU and is now a sophomore taking up IT. He gave up an invitation to play for Georgia Tech in the US NCAA Division I to enroll at NU. I think Ray will be good for the league. NU isn’t a title threat and we’re hoping the UAAP gives Ray the chance to play.”

Altamirano said it was providential that Parks decided to stay at NU. George Tech coach Paul Hewitt recruited Parks for the Yellow Jackets but was fired three weeks ago.

Altamirano said he realizes the importance of training the trainors in NBTC and that’s why he’s bringing in Australian coach Rob Beverage and US coach Blair Donovan to conduct a one-day coaching clinic for NBTC instructors, free of charge, on May 18.

“I’m grateful to Energen cereal drink for sponsoring the NBTC program for public high schools and to Seaoil for sponsoring the NBTC program for private high schools,” said Altamirano. “With the help of Energen and Seaoil, we’re able to reach out to about 10,000 kids every year.”

The NBTC public high school program has three phases. The first is an in-school curriculum where workshops and clinics are held with four sessions a school. The second is the tournament stage where competitions are set up in 20 cities with an average of four schools a city. The third is the LEAD camp where the values of leadership, excellence, attitude and discipline are taught.

“Teaching the youth is my advocacy,” said Altamirano. “It’s what drives me. Last year, I was supposed to coach the national team in the 3-on-3 event of the Youth Olympics. But I was informed that the age limit for coaches was 35. So I went along as a consultant to my assistant Mon Jose. It was a wonderful experience being involved in the Youth Olympics. Now, I’m reliving my dream in the UAAP once again, teaching young men the LEAD values at NU.”