Back to La Salle for Noy

The call from Derick (Manong) Pumaren came three days before last Christmas. Noy Falcasantos was in Zamboanga City, his hometown, taking a break from his head coaching chores with Cebu in the MPBL. Pumaren, newly designated La Salle head coach, phoned to invite Falcasantos to join the Archers staff.

“It’s a big opportunity,” related Falcasantos. “I played for Manong at La Salle and I still know the staff at OSD (Office of Sports Development) in Taft. I know Manong’s style. He’s all about discipline. I played for him in the UAAP, PBL and PBA. I was in his coaching staff at UE for three years. Manong gave me the confidence to coach. He inspired me to learn. Now, it’s my turn to give back to La Salle and Manong.”

Falcasantos, 49, was recruited by Pumaren to play for La Salle in the UAAP from Cebu Central Colleges high school. He enrolled in a business management course and played for the Archers in 1991. It would’ve been Pumaren’s third straight UAAP title but the Archers lost the crown by default when they refused to play a rematch that was ordered because of a technicality. Pumaren then left La Salle to work full-time in the PBA which disallowed head coaches to hold a job in other leagues. Pumaren, however, was permitted to continue coaching Triple V in the PBL until his contract ran out. Falcasantos also left La Salle to join Pumaren at Triple V. He went on to play for the national team in 1992-93 with La Salle teammates Noli Locsin and Tonyboy Espinosa then was picked by Sta. Lucia on the first round in the 1994 PBA draft.

In an 11-year PBA career, Falcasantos played under coaches Nat Canson, Adonis Tierra, Chot Reyes, Pumaren and Norman Black at Sta. Lucia and Allan Caidic and Siot Tanquingcen at Ginebra. He was an undersized power forward but played the interior with smarts. Falcasantos was on one title team each with the Realtors and Ginebra. “I played only a few games with Ginebra because my knee wasn’t 100 percent but was on the team when we won the championship with import Torraye Braggs,” he said. “Then, I joined the San Miguel Legends team to do marketing work.”

Falcasantos was a dealer of seafoods from Zamboanga City when Pumaren brought him back to basketball as a UE assistant coach in 2014. “Manong asked me to handle Team B and at first, I was nervous because I’d never coached before,” he said. “Manong told me to apply what I learned from my years as a player under a lot of great coaches. So I studied hard, watched videos on YouTube. I never imagined I could be a coach but it was like a miracle that Manong gave me this chance. I stayed with Manong at UE for three seasons then I started teaching kids, 13 to 14 years old, how to play in San Juan. I couldn’t leave basketball, it’s what I love and what I do.”

In 2018, Falcasantos was offered to coach Imus in the MPBL. “When I came in, the team was 1-3,” he recounted. “I made some adjustments and we won nine straight. We made it to the playoffs. I adopted what I learned from Manong. I told the guys if they don’t give their 100 percent, they’ll sit on the bench. Whoever doesn’t play hard is out and I’ll find somebody else who plays hard. I want to win, I don’t like to lose. I don’t care if the players get mad. I want them to be disciplined and play as a team.”

This season, Falcasantos took over from Titing Manalili to coach Cebu in the MPBL. The team almost made the playoffs and missed the cut-off by a hair. A few days ago, Falcasantos reported for work at La Salle and was reunited with the OSD staff. “I miss Minda, Pong and the staff that looked after my academics when I was at La Salle and they’re still around,” he said. “I’m happy to be back especially since the entire coaching staff has a La Salle background. My focus is to work on the bigs like I did with Charles Mammie at UE. Mammie couldn’t shoot free throws, wasn’t coordinated and would foul out early. But we straightened him out. Kaunting tiyaga. At La Salle, I’m excited to work with Balty (Baltazar), Amadou (Ndiaye), Brandon (Bates), Michael (Philips) and the rest of the bigs. It’s different coaching guys in the MPBL and UAAP. In the MPBL, the players are experienced and know what to do. One instruction and they’ll execute. In the UAAP, the millennials think differently and they’re still maturing. At La Salle, the players have a high basketball IQ, they pick up easily. They’re open to be guided and taught.”

Falcasantos said Pumaren has a built-in X-Ray machine. “Manong has a great basketball mind,” he said. “He can read plays easily with just one look. I try to be a system and discipline coach like him. In just a few weeks since Manong took over at La Salle, you can already see a lot of improvement. It’s a challenge for us to make it back to the Final Four but I think we can do it.”

In April, Falcasantos will resume head coaching duties with Cebu in the MPBL’s next season but he said practice and game schedules won’t conflict with La Salle. He said working with Pumaren and co-assistants Gabby Velasco, Mon Jose and Gian Nazario is a learning experience. “We’ve got good chemistry under Manong,” he said. “Sunod kaming lahat, one direction, one goal. We work as a team, we win as a team.”