Where is Bo Perasol headed?
Wanted: Ateneo men’s basketball team coach.
A day after clinching their fifth straight UAAP seniors’ cage crown, the Blue Eagles are now looking for a replacement to fill the big shoes left by coach Norman Black.
Rumors swirled early Friday that Bo Perasol, who earlier in the year was tipped to replace Black, and was reportedly conducting the scrimmage of Team B, is no longer going to call the shots for Ateneo, and speculation is rife that he is now headed to the University of the Philippines as team consultant.
Perasol, who previously handled defunct Powerade in the pro league, had earlier inked a deal with the Ateneo management, with the blessing of chief patron Manny V. Pangilinan.
However, Pangilinan abruptly severed his ties with Ateneo last month, citing “irreconcilable differences” with the university’s stand on mining and the Reproductive Health Bill.
That sudden turn of events left Perasol’s stint on the Blue Eagles bench hanging in the balance, and has supposedly paved the way for a return to his alma mater located on the other end of Katipunan. The rumors were bolstered by news of Pangilinan’s recent pledge to give P5 million in financial assistance to UP.
However, as of now talk of Perasol making a move to the UP camp remains just that – talk.
In a phone interview with Yahoo! PH Sports Friday afternoon, UP coach Ricky Dandan stated “there have been rumors but nothing’s definite yet,” adding that no one has approached him about Perasol joining the UP coaching staff, and if ever, the decision would be his to make.
“Bo entering my staff is my call,” he said.
Dandan served as one of Perasol’s assistant coaches in the Tigers’ camp and, if things fall in the right place, they’ll be making a reunion of sorts at the Fighting Maroons.
“We’ve been friends for a long time. Bo’s a good friend of mine. Nagkasama na kami sa PBA and he’s also a Maroon,” said Dandan, who also works as an assistant coach to Glenn Capacio of newcomer GlobalPort.
Perasol, who finished a broadcast communication degree, carried the UP colors from 1989 to1993 before shifting to the sidelines as the mentor of the Junior Fighting Maroons.
If plans do push through, Dandan said he’s ready to welcome Perasol with open arms, saying: “He’s always welcome. Pero as of now, wala pa naman lumalapit sa’kin about Bo being my consultant.”
Prof. Ronnie Dizer, the dean of the UP College of Human Kinetics who is the sole authority in appointing coaches in the UP, echoed Dandan’s statement, saying via text message to Yahoo! PH Sports that a Perasol appointment as consultant “hasn’t reached my office yet”.
Yahoo! PH Sports tried contacting Perasol, but calls and text messages to his cell phone went unanswered.
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