Baby D–A class act

There’s a special reason why the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Press Corps awards the pro league’s Coach of the Year a trophy named in honor of Virgilio (Baby) Dalupan.

It’s because Dalupan is revered as probably the greatest coach ever to call the shots in local hoops. His record speaks for itself–nearly 50 championships in a coaching career that ended in 1991. The man appropriately dubbed "The Maestro" is the PBA’s all-time winningest coach with 15 titles under his belt. He steered Crispa to nine crowns, Great Taste to five and Purefoods to one in a storybook PBA career that remains unparalleled.

In the National Basketball Association (NBA), legendary Boston Celtics coach Arnold (Red) Auerbach is similarly honored. The NBA’s Coach of the Year is awarded the Auerbach trophy. Auerbach and Dalupan are two of a kind.

Dalupan played guard for Far Eastern University and Ateneo then turned to coaching in 1958. At the University of the East (UE), he piloted the Warriors to 11 UAAP (University Athletic Association of the Philippines) and 17 National Open championships. He bagged five MICAA (Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association) titles for Crispa in the amateur ranks before joining the pros in 1975.

Dalupan also coached four national teams and the Ateneo varsity.

Three years ago, Baby D–as the late broadcaster Pinggoy Pengson used to call him–was cited for his contributions to the sport and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Basketball Hall of Fame Foundation.

Dalupan was in the US with his wife Lourdes during the Hall of Fame awarding rites. He was represented in the affair by his daughters Ann, Jojo and Cecile. In accepting the award, Cecile–a former national gymnast and now a lawyer–read a letter of thanks from her father who dedicated the award to his compadre, pal and boss, the late Danny Floro.

One of Dalupan’s stars Narciso Bernardo, a Hall of Famer, paid tribute to his mentor whom he described as a master tactician. Bernardo said Dalupan was blessed with an incredible "feel" for the game–he wasn’t bookish, coached by "oido" and knew exactly when to bring in and pull out players in a game.

More than just a coach, Dalupan was a father figure to his players. That set him apart from others. Dalupan cared for his boys in the way a father cared for his children. Sure, he was strict. He was a disciplinarian. There were rules to be followed and Dalupan made sure they were. Dalupan just wanted to bring up his players right. He didn’t treat them only as players. He treated them like his sons.

During a game, Dalupan was never ruffled. Panic was not in his vocabulary. He was cool and calculating from the first tip to the final buzzer. Dalupan will be the first to admit he wasn’t too scientific in his approach to the game–he left his schooled assistants to sort out the Xs and Os. At practice, he looked for effort–putting a premium on conditioning–and preferred scrimmages to drills.

Dalupan knew his players well–their tendencies, weak points and strengths. That’s why he was a whiz in creating mismatches. He had the uncanny ability of matching up to his advantage. His sense of timing was impeccable. Dalupan wasn’t only a class act–he was also a genius at work.

Today, basketball is unlike what it was during Dalupan’s era. The game has become a laboratory of evolving technology. The players are more athletic, more dominant and more skilled. The coaches are more scientific, more scholarly and more demanding.

But Dalupan’s legacy will not fade with time. He is and will always be "The Maestro." He is a shining example of a leader, a coach who cared for his players, a family man–in and out of the court.

In 1999, Dalupan and his wife celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in the same Victorias, Negros Occidental, church where they were married. That milestone, more than anything else, put Dalupan in a class of his own.

On Oct. 19, Dalupan turns 80 and will be feted in a grand birthday party at the UE grounds. A three-day exhibit of photos, clippings and other memorabilia related to Dalupan will be on display at the Francisco Dalupan Sr. Building of UE in Manila starting Thursday. Friends, relatives, players, coaches, ballboys and all those who were once associated with Dalupan are invited to join in the festivities.

Indeed, there will never be another Baby D.