PBA pioneer player and one of the country’s most accomplished college coaches of all time Loreto ‘Ato’ Tolentino passed away on Sunday (Nov. 5).
He was 75.
His son, Marikina councilor and coach Elvis Tolentino, confirmed the death of his father, who played for four seasons with Great Taste in Asia’s first-ever play-for-play league from 1975 to 1979.
Considered as a prolific scorer during his playing career, Tolentino went on and carved a name for himself as a champion coach who oversaw a long run of success at University of Manila.
A star player for UM in his college years, Tolentino hailed from Lubao, Pampanga. His younger brother Tomasito, was also a PBA pioneer and a teammate of him at Great Taste.
Mr Hotshot
The older Tolentino, who earned the nickname ‘Mr Hotshot,' averaged 26.9 points in 30 games during his sophomore season in 1976, which ranked among the highest scoring averages of all time among locals.
Among the highest-paid players back then who earned P12,000 monthly, Tolentino was forced to retire by a torn cartilege in his left knee early in 1979. He averaged 15.7 points in a total of 123 games.
Eventually, he found another calling in coaching, starting in 1980 with his alma mater until 1986, and in between with Rizal Athletic Club and ERDC in the defunct Philippine Amateur Basketball League (PABL).
Upon returning to the country in 1992 after a six-year stay in the US, Tolentino returned at the helm of UM and picked up from where he left off as coach.
Known for being a disciplinarian to his players, Tolentino produced several outstanding players at UM, the likes of Bong Alvarez, Jun Limpot, Eugene Quilban, Nelson Asaytono, Joel Dualan, Leo Avenido, Eugene Tan, Biboy Simon, Joseph Pelaez, Jovy Sese, Ruel Bravo, and the late Cris Bolado.
Multiple championships
Tolentino steered the Hawks to three National Inter-Collegiate championships, five straight titles in the NAASCU (National Athletic Association of Schools, Colleges, and Universities) which he capped by registering an 86-game winning streak, and a host of other titles in different college tournaments.
He was also responsible for giving Philippine Christian University its lone NCAA title in 2004 when the Dolphins defeated the University of Perpetual Help Altas in the finals behind a roster bannered by Jayson Castro, Beau Belga, Ian Garrido, Lisztian Amparado, and Rookie-MVP Gabby Espinas.
His remains lie at the Emerald Chapel of the Loyola Memorial Park in Marikina.
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