CHICAGO — Nearly 17 years after he first burst into the coaching stage, Chito Victolero is coming back to where it all started.
The 50-year old former Cardinal will assume the top men’ basketball post at his alma mater, Mapua, reprising the role he held from 2009 to 2012.
READ: Victolero ready for comeback. Will it be at Mapua?
The Cardinals reunion comes seven months after taking a much-needed break following his exit from Magnolia in the PBA.
“ I’m recharged and ready for the next challenge,” Victolero told me after emerging from a pool of high-profile candidates.
He takes over a resurgent program that ended a 33-year NCAA title drought by winning Season 100 before reaching the semifinals of Season 101.
Victolero guided the Hotshots to the PBA Governor’s Cup in 2018.

To succeed at Mapua, he would have to reacquaint himself to the recruiting game to be able to compete against perennial contenders such as San Beda, Letran and the College of St. Benilde.
Among the other NCAA coaches with PBA pedigree include Yuri Escueta of the Red Lions and Charles Tiu of the Blazers.
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