The Aldin Ayo era in UST is officially over.
The former Growling Tigers head coach has signed a multi-year contract with the Converge Fiber Xers in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), ending his 5×5 basketball coaching hiatus that stemmed from the Sorsogon “bubble” scandal.
Ayo signed his deal with Converge a day after he said on Facebook that he had yet to commit to any coaching gigs to focus on helping his ailing mother.
“I talked to her last night, and this morning she told me, ‘Gusto kita makita mag-coach sa PBA.’ She said she doesn’t want to see me just sitting around the house,” Ayo said.
Ayo, who recently resigned from coaching Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3×3, replaces erstwhile Converge head coach Jeffrey Cariaso.
The former Tigers coach, who is known for his “mayhem” tactics, will bring in former Tiger Cubs head coach McJour Luib as his assistant coach and Joph Cleopas in his strength and conditioning staff.
Ayo, who coached the Tigers for two years, brought UST to a finals appearance in UAAP Season 82 in 2019 where they lost to the Ateneo Blue Eagles.
He won two championships at the collegiate level: one as coach of the College of San Juan de Letran in NCAA Season 91 and one as coach of De La Salle University in UAAP Season 71.
But in 2020, the Ayo-led Tigers figured in a “Sorsogon bubble” controversy that led to the fallout that caused the team to rebuild.
