Coaching community mourns Dong Vergeire

“Vision without execution is hallucination.” – Thomas Edison

The Philippine basketball coaching community mourns the sudden passing of former national coach Dong Vergeire. Vergeire led the Philippine men’s team to a gold medal in the 1997 Southeast Asian Games in Jakarta, before civil unrest tore the city apart. The powerhouse team was made up of diamonds in the rough like Romel Adducul, Danny Ildefonso, Ralph Rivera, Gerald Francisco, Jomer Rubi, Ato Morano, Rensy Bajar, Dino Manuel, Norman Gonzales, Henry Fernandez and Chris Cantonjos. All of those players became pillars of the national team, the PBA or both.

This writer was there to broadcast the games, and despite the less than ideal circumstances such as a steaming Quonset hot venue, rowdy, ill-mannered crowds and poor security, Vergeire maintained his composure, tirelessly scouting along with assistant (and now UE head coach) Boycie Zamar. He was even being accused of tanking a game late in the eliminations to secure better positioning. The hosts were notorious for biased officiating, and Vergeire received a lot of flak for allegedly losing to avoid a direct confrontation before the finals. But he simply shrugged off all the detractors and distractions and kept the team focused on finishing the job, which it did.

A former De La Salle Green Archer, Vergeire started out as an assistant to Aric Del Rosario in UST’s unparalleled UAAP championship run in the early 1990’s. He came from one of this country’s strongest coaching generations. His contemporaries and assistants have all become accomplished head coaches or team officials in their own right, including Louie Alas and Zamar. Vergeire also led San Beda to back-to-back NCAA finals appearances in the late 1990’s before steering College of St. Benilde to its first and only NCAA title in 2000. The Blazers became the fastest team to win the NCAA basketball crown, doing so in only their third year in the league.

“I am very saddened to tell you that my dear friend and fellow UPIS parent Dong Vergeire passed away,” texted UPIS head coach Allan Gregorio to this writer early Friday morning. “I was just with him last night. So sad.”

Vergeire succumbed to a massive heart attack late Thursday night. He had been receiving treatment for kidney failure for quite some time, though few people knew it. Social media exploded when the news broke out.

Fellow former Philippine team and Formula Shell coach Perry Ronquillo, who migrated to the US years ago, said “I am in shock! My best friend, kumpare and teammate at De La Salle just died. Dong, may your soul rest in peace. Not too many people know this but a lot of my philosophies in coaching and in life came from him. When he was my assistant at Burger Machine in the PBL, I relied on him a lot for advice. We would argue long and hard as to the merits of a particular strategy. I wanted him to throw everything he knew at me so we could come up with the best strategy for the team. I have so much respect for that person.”

Another former national coach and PBL mentor Robert Sison added, “Feeling very sad... lost a very dear friend. Dong, I will miss you, pare...” And later commented, “I was with him last Sept. 15 his birthday and was glad to see him in his old self even if he knew that he is not totally healthy.”

Though Vergeire had been diagnosed with kidney problems, he still was very energetic and giving when around the basketball court.

Former De La Salle Green Archer and MBA team manager Rafa Dinglasan posted “RIP..... Coach Dong Vergeire my teammate and friend! The coach that gave Benilde its first NCAA Crown! ANIMO BRO!”

A more recent player John Verayo likewise posted this reflection, “Coach Perry and Coach Dong, there are only a few of you who really gave justice to the sport. Your basketball minds just clicked so naturally and effectively. I witnessed it, learned from it and cherished it. It was a coaching marriage that bore many accolades but more importantly symbolized your passion and love for the game. Coach Dong, to this day I still regret turning down the chance to play for you and for the country, I’m so sorry.”

I sat beside Vergeire as he watched his son and teammates at UPIS take on UST at the end of the first round, after UP had secured a TRO to allow Jozhua General to play. Having been a basketball parent myself, I felt how strongly Dong loved the game. It was infectious. He literally only used the edge of his seat almost throughout the game, shouting encouragement (and even advice) to the players as they entered and left the game. His continuous enthusiasm after all these years was refreshing, to say the least.

I will always remember my contemporary Coach Dong as a selfless teacher who used humor to get his point across. A passionate mentor, he always found a way to win, and a way to impart his knowledge. He was a bottomless well of wisdom, he was always willing to ladle out to others. His strong voice in the sport will sorely be missed.