Book on legendary PBA coach Baby Dalupan launched

MANILA, Philippines – A book on Philippine basketball coaching great Virgilio “Baby” Dalupan, was launched Monday night at the famed bench tactician’s alma mater, the Ateneo de Manila University.

Titled, “The Maestro of Philippine Basketball,” the 250-page book features his basketball journey as a student-athlete alongside the late Moro Lorenzo in the pre-World War II and post-war Blue Eagles to his coaching stint with the University of the East Warriors all the way to his triumphant return to Loyola Heights in the early 70s. The book also chronicles his time with the dynastic Crispa Redmanizers to the Great Taste Coffeemakers and the Purefoods Hotdogs.

While Dalupan was unable to win a NCAA basketball title, his tag team with Lorenzo produced a football championship. He found greater success in coaching as he guided UE to 12 UAAP titles. Upon his return to Ateneo as head coach, he won the school’s last two NCAA championships in 1975 and 76 before the school transferred to the UAAP.

Over at the PBA, “the Maestro,” as he was called, coached the Crispa Redmanizers to nine championships. When he left Crispa, he came out of retirement to guide the Great Taste Coffee Makers to five titles, four of them consecutive. He capped his stellar PBA coaching career by masterminding Purefoods’ first pro championship.

“My dad is getting in on the years,” said daughter Cecile Dalupan, who oversaw the project that took some eight months to produce. “We believe that he has a good story to tell not only for sports-minded people but for everyone as well."

The book was written by various sports scribes who covered Dalupan through the decades. Tim Cone, who surpassed Dalupan as the PBA’s most accomplished coach with 18 titles won across Alaska and the Purefoods franchise, wrote the foreword. Among the sports writers who contributed to the book are veteran scribes Noel Albano, Ignacio Dee, Krip Yuson, and this author while some of the coach’s former players like Ricardo Brown, current PBA Commissioner Andres “Chito” Narvasa, current Ateneo Blue Eagles assistant coach Sandy Arespacochaga chipped in essays.

Those who attended the launch, which coincided with Dalupan’s 92nd birthday, included his former players from Ateneo, Crispa, Great Taste, Purefoods, and UE as well as other luminaries from the sports world.

“The Maestro of Philippine Basketball” will be available at National Bookstore beginning October 20 with the hardcover book priced at P2,000 and the softcover version at P1,500. For direct selling, the prices are P1500 hard-cover; P1000 softcover.

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