Perasol in dilemma over Ateneo contract

MANILA, Philippines - Admitting he’s in a dilemma, former Powerade coach Bo Perasol said yesterday he hopes to resolve the issue of taking over the Ateneo reins from Norman Black within the next two weeks after meeting with university president Fr. Jett Villarin.

“I signed a contract with Fr. Jett to coach Ateneo and it’s up to the 2015 season,” said Perasol. “Ateneo has been good to me, the priests, alumni. But with the disengagement of Mr. MVP (Manny V. Pangilinan) from Ateneo, I really don’t know what to do. My initial inclination is to let go because it was the MVP Group that convinced me to sign with Ateneo in the first place. But unlike coach Norman, my contract is with Ateneo, not the MVP Group. I don’t want to go into legalities. I just want to be fair to both the MVP Group and Ateneo.”

Perasol said if and when he moves to Ateneo, his coaching staff will be carried over from Black’s term. “I won’t bring anyone along,” he said. “I’ll be honored to work with coach Norman’s staff – Sandy (Arrespacochaga), Gene (Afable), Jamike (Jarin). Right now, I’m in a tricky situation. I gave up options in the PBA to take on this job. I never expected to be collateral damage. It was the MVP Group that brought me to Ateneo after meeting with Mr. MVP himself, Mr. Ricky Vargas and Ms. Debbie Tan. But Ateneo welcomed me. That’s why I’m in a dilemma.”

Perasol said he will meet with Fr. Villarin to clear the air on the issue. “I did my due diligence before signing with Ateneo,” he said. “I consulted several close friends and individuals whom I respect highly. (PBA) Commissioner (Chito) Salud phoned the other day asking how I’m doing. He invited me to watch the PBA games and sit beside him. I told him about my dilemma.”

Last Saturday, Perasol was at the Smart Araneta Coliseum to witness the Ateneo-La Salle playoff game. “I’ve been watching the Ateneo games live to get a feel of what it’s like to be on the Ateneo side, to be in the bleachers with Ateneans,” he said. “It’s part of my learning process, to know what it’s all about, this rivalry with La Salle among other things. At the moment, I’m in a wait-and-see situation. After meeting with Fr. Jett, I’ll take some time to think things over. It remains to be seen how this will end. When I heard of Mr. MVP disengaging from Ateneo, I asked myself, should I leave, too? Where am I going? My mental set-up is without the MVP Group’s invitation, I wouldn’t have gotten this job with Ateneo. But I’ve signed a contract with Ateneo so in that sense, there is no choice. I must be fair to Ateneo and the MVP Group.”

Perasol said he will settle the issue within two weeks. “I’m buying some time,” he said. “I don’t want Ateneo to think that all of a sudden, I’m changing my mind. I just need to resolve some issues before coming to a conclusion.”

As for the PBA, Perasol said it’s a strange feeling being away after eight years in the league. “No more tension, now I’m just a fan,” he said. “Of course, I miss the PBA. I watched the opening day game on TV. You can’t judge Global by just one game. That’s a brand new team from what I coached last year. They’ve got four rookies and three veterans who joined in the offseason. It’ll take time to jell and develop chemistry. Besides, Gary (David) hardly practiced with the team because he played with Gilas abroad. There are no short-cuts to building a competitive team. They’re still adjusting to coach Glenn (Capacio). In time, they’ll be competitive.”

A broadcast communications degree holder from UP, Perasol was an assistant coach in the UAAP, PBL, MBA and PBA before taking over the Air 21 head coaching job in the 2005-06 Fiesta Conference. He never won a PBA title but piloted Air 21 to the 2007-08 Fiesta Conference finals that went the distance and Powerade to the Philippine Cup finals last season. Under Perasol’s watch, No. 8 Powerade upset No. 1 B-Meg despite a twice-to-beat disadvantage in the last Philippine Cup quarterfinals then downed Rain Or Shine, 4-3, in the semifinals before bowing to Talk ‘N’ Text in the finals. Before pursuing a coaching career, Perasol worked five years with FedEx in the Bert Lina Group and made his mark as South Luzon operations manager.

Perasol said he plans to earn a MBA degree at Ateneo. Off the court, he and wife Reina operate a nursery school, Haven of Learning Development Center, in Sta. Rosa, Laguna. Reina is the school directress of the eight-year-old school.