FROM a relative nobody almost half a decade ago, Aldin Ayo may have just staked his claim to being the best local coach in the collegiate ranks today.
The Sorsogon-born mentor has put together winning teams everywhere he went in a short but well-travelled coaching career, doing it in a variety of ways.
Look: In a span of five years, he has reached the finals four times in the country's two major leagues, winning a championship each in the NCAA and the UAAP where he is in line for a first title with University of Santo Tomas.
Impressive? That's not all.
The former Letran bench player won under different circumstances, whether with a powerhouse team at La Salle or a heavy underdog at Letran, or through the 'House of Chaos' system with the Knights or the 'Mayhem' defense with the Green Archers.
"It's all about passion, passion sa laro," said the Tigers coach when asked about the secret behind his phenomenal win run. "Walang problema yung mag-trabaho nang mag-trabaho because I love what I'm doing."
In so short a time, let's look back on how Ayo altered the college basketball landscape, after a largely forgettable playing career at Letran.
Coming out of nowhere to snag the Letran job, Ayo defied doubters by unleashing the "house of chaos" at his alma mater, entrusting veterans Mark Cruz and Kevin Racal to lead the cavalry.
He found ways to maximize unheralded holdovers like Mcjour Luib, Felix Apreku, and Jom Sollano while also making promising guns like Rey Nambatac, Bong Quinto, JP Calvo, and Jerrick Balanza integral parts of the machine.
Their efforts were duly rewarded as the Knights ended a 10-year drought in NCAA Season 91 crown by stopping archrival San Beda's six-peat drive.
Ayo changed colors after his maiden NCAA championship, but the level of success never changed.
Armed with arguably collegiate basketball's top two players in 2016 in Ben Mbala and Jeron Teng, his powerhouse Green Archers side ran roughshod on the competition, losing only once in UAAP Season 79 in one of the most dominant performances of a team in recent history.
It was a team loaded in talent, from its frontcourt of MVP Mbala, Jason Perkins, Abu Tratter, and Justine Baltazar, to guards Kib Montalbo, Andrei Caracut, and that season's Rookie of the Year Aljun Melecio, to its wings in Teng, Ricci Rivero, and Julian Sargent.
And it didn't come as a surprise that at season's end, the championship - fueled by Ayo's "mayhem" mantra - was back at La Salle for the first in three years.
The Green Archers, sans Teng and Perkins, sought back-to-back titles the following year but settled for runner-up honors to Ateneo in a Finals rematch in UAAP Season 80 in what turned out to be Ayo's last season for the green-and-white.
UST soon came calling as Ayo left a loaded program brimming with talent in Taft for a rebuilding job in Espana.
It wasn't easy, especially with UST coming off a one-win season under Boy Sablan. But he took the task head on, squeezing out the best in rookie CJ Cansino to blend in with holdovers like Marvin Lee and Steve Akomo and returnees Renzo Subido and Embons Bonleon for UAAP Season 81.
Back in an underdog role, the Ayo-mentored Growling Tigers began to put up a good fight and finished with five wins last year.
It remains as the only missed Final Four appearance for the stern mentor, yet served as the foundation for the resurgence of the proud Tigers this season.
Armed with a promising young crew trained to play a high-octane brand of basketball, Ayo unleashed a fast-paced, three-heavy Growling Tigers squad that almost mimicked the style of the Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets in the NBA.
Cansino, installed team captain in only his sophomore year, and newcomers Soulemane Chabi Yo, Mark Nonoy, Rhenz Abando, Brent Paraiso, and Sherwin Concepcion and veterans Subido and Zachy Huang all thrived in the system.
The results speak for themselves: After winning eight games in the eliminations, the Tigers outduelled Far Eastern University in a knockout match before overcoming twice-to-beat disadvantage against University of the Philippines to earn an unlikely trip to the finals.
But as amazing as Ayo's five-year run has been so far, he was the first to remind his wards that the job is far from done.
"Wala pa kaming naa-achieve. We haven't achieved anything yet. That's what I told the players after the game," he said, egging his players to remain focused on the goal after UST's slim 68-65 win over UP on Wednesday.
"I told them to re-focus because hindi pa tapos eh. Nakita ko lang yung celebration, pero medyo nag-worry ako ng konti kasi ayaw ko makakita ng ganoong celebration na mukha na silang nakuntento eh.
"And some of the coaching staff were crying, even my wife was crying, but I told her, 'Mommy, wala pa tayo naa-achieve eh.' So we have to re-focus and prepare for our next game," Ayo added.
"Of course, we are grateful that we reached this far, but this is not our main goal."
Now, fourth-seed UST attempts to pull off the mother of all upsets against Ateneo, a team that is unbeaten this season and currently has a live win streak of 24 games. The Blue Eagles are so good they haven't lost a UAAP game since Oct. 10, 2018.
The best-of-three finals also pits Ayo in another chess match with the only coach that has beaten him in a championship series - Tab Baldwin.
Regardless of the outcome is, this UAAP Season 82 Finals appearance is already a testament to the brilliance of the 42-year-old bench tactician.
And how does he intend to prepare for this powerhouse Ateneo side?
How else but by working hard.
"I always tell my coaching staff, sila coach Mcjour na hindi pwede puro passion eh," Ayo said. "Although nandoon yung passion, yung mga bagay na mahihirap kahit walang balik, you just have to keep on working hard. If you just put on the work, kahit anong mangyari, at least walang regrets."
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
