ALDIN Ayo is nicely settling into his new job as Converge head coach, making an impressive debut by leading the FiberXers to a 124-110 victory over Terrafirma in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup last Friday.
But if given a chance to return to one of his former college teams, Ayo said he would choose University of Santo Tomas in a heartbeat over Letran and La Salle.
Aldin Ayo on 'unfinished business' with UST
“Kasi may mga unfinished business dun,” Ayo said when asked by Spin.ph associate editor Gerry Ramos to pick among his college teams for a possible return destination during his SPIN Zoom In appearance. “And napamahal na rin ako sa community ng UST, especially yung mga alumni.”
The Growling Tigers are the only team he fell short of steering to a championship after bringing an NCAA title to the Knights to announce his entry to the coaching ranks in style in 2015 before piloting the Green Archers to a UAAP crown in 2016.
“I’m from Letran. I’m very proud to be a Letranite. And maganda rin yung nagawa namin sa La Salle, pero sa UST, I think we owe it to the community,” Ayo said. “We owe it to the university na sana nakapag-champion kami dun.”
Ayo led the España-based dribblers to a 5-9 win-loss card for sixth spot in his debut in the 2018 UAAP season, a great improvement after they lost all but one of their 14 games the year before.
Building on their gains a year later, the fourth-seeded Tigers were the survivor of the stepladder Final Four to reach the finals where unbeaten Ateneo dispatched them in two games.
“That stint really taught me a lot and really made me a matured and yung skill ko, nahasa dun eh, especially yung 2018, tama talaga na you learn more from losing,” Ayo said. “Ang dami kong natutunan dun sa 2018 na yun. That’s why very special sa akin yung UST.”
For sure, Ayo wouldn’t also mind redeeming himself from a controversy that saw him supervise a training camp in his native Sorsogon that UAAP officials ruled violated the country’s quarantine protocols at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to an exodus of Tigers stars and his eventual resignation.
“Kung puwede bumalik, I’ll go back to UST,” Ayo said. “Special yung community dun and siyempre yung mga pari, malapit ako dun.”
But don’t get him wrong. For someone who can be labeled as a coaching journeyman, Ayo is eager to stick with his current Converge home for the long haul.
“I’m honored and humbled by this opportunity and I’m just very grateful na I have this opportunity right now,” Ayo said. “Pasalamat ako kay boss Dennis Uy sa tiwala and the rest of the management.”
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