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| Dennis Acosta (file photo) |
MANILA--No less than the president of the Ateneo De Manila University confirmed the big basketball story which has been the talk of the town over the weekend.
Ateneo prexy Jett Villarin said in a memo on Monday that the Blue Eagles will take the services of Gilas Pilipinas coach Tab Baldwin as their new chief tactician.
"I am pleased to announce the appointment of Thomas Anthony “Tab” Baldwin as Head Coach of our Men’s basketball team," Fr. Villarin said in the said memo.
He expressed his gratitude to Baldwin for accepting the job to handle Ateneo, which failed to win a UAAP title for three straight seasons after accomplishing a rare five-peat under Coach Norman Black.
The school head stated in particular, "We thank Coach Tab for his generosity in taking on this mission of coaching and forming our young men."
Villarin also thanked Ateneo's chief backer Manny Pangilinan for bringing in the national team mentor, who also serves as Talk 'n Text's consultant.
"We could not have accomplished bringing such a renowned coach to the Ateneo without the support and guidance of Manny Pangilinan. As always, we thank MVP for his leadership and constant care of our alma mater," the statement continued.
Villarin also revealed that the Blue Eagles are set to begin their preparations for the next UAAP season sometime this month.
He concluded by saying that their continuous focus on winning is for God among anyone else.
Baldwin, who steered Gilas to a second place finish in the FIBA Asia Championship last October, became a hot topic over the weekend when initial reports surfaced on Saturday that he was chosen to replace Bo Perasol as the Blue Eagles coach.
Baldwin, who steered Gilas to a second place finish in the FIBA Asia Championship last October, became a hot topic over the weekend when initial reports surfaced on Saturday that he was chosen to replace Bo Perasol as the Blue Eagles coach.
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