The Archers’ loss will be the Tigers’ gain.
Coach Aldin Ayo on Friday confirmed to the Varsitarian he was set to call the shots for the UST Growling Tigers next season.
Ayo replied in the affirmative when asked if he would indeed be coaching the Tigers.
He said he would meet with UST Rector Fr. Herminio Dagohoy, O.P. and athletics director, Fr. Jannel Abogado, O.P., to discuss the terms of his contract.
A formal announcement is expected by Jan. 11, said Ayo, who led the Letran Knights to the NCAA title in 2015 and the De La Salle University Green Archers in the UAAP the following year.
Ayo will have his work cut out for him with the Growling Tigers, who won only once in 14 games last season.
Talk of his possible transfer to UST began after coach Boy Sablan was fired last November.
Pending formal announcement by UST management on Januaey 11 on the hiring of Coach Aldin Ayo as new mentor of UST’s Basketball program, one of the good decisions by UST officials accompanying Ayo’s appointment is the ” 6 Year contract” that wikk be guven coach Ayo. With this tenure, a coach can build, rebuild, and make long term planning and vision for the team and not be afraid that he can be axed in the middle of his program. He can recruut a training pool that will also be asdured of tenureship. This will redound to good and qyality player recruitment.
In fact, no other UST coach had this luxury of a contract sunce time immemorial. The cintract of UST coaches are only renewed on a yearly bssis. Ayo is the first one to enjoy such contract. Any coach with this kind of contract will have no reason to fail. Previous coaches had a hard time planning and recruiting because of uncertainty of tenure that is renewed yearly. Now Ayo will have the benefit of long term planning. Again i hope and pray that this 6 year contract will be able to help Ayo realize a formidable program for Santo Tomas by using the long cintract to its fullest potential. Goodluck and Godspeed to this new chapter in UST Basketball.