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Jamike Jarin ready for his big break with the San Beda Red Lions

Incoming San Beda head coach Jamike Jarin. (Photo from FIBA.com)

For 15 years, Jamike Jarin was known for helping the Ateneo Blue Eaglets dominate the UAAP Juniors basketball competitions while also being an assistant coach for the Blue Eagles. After his stint coaching the Philippines’ Under-17 and Under-18 squads,  Jarin will finally be able to call himself a full-fledged college coach as he is set to take over the San Beda Red Lions in lieu of Boyet Fernandez next year.

“Before the start of the NCAA tournament, there were rumors that NLEX will be going to the PBA and the logical choice was going to be Boyet Fernandez,” Jarin shared during an interview with the Online Media Group of Sportswriters held at the Country Spice restaurant in Quezon City.

“Everybody was saying he will coach NLEX and that there will be a vacancy sa San Beda. May mga nagsasabi na I’ll be coaching San Beda after the RP Youth team but nothing was definite.”

Jarin led the Under-16 team to an unprecedented second-place finish in the 2014 FIBA Asia Championship. He led the Under-18 team to a fifth place finish the year after. Although there were rumors that he will be named the next San Beda coach, Jarin decided it was best not to rock the boat.

“The school wanted to focus on winning their fifth straight championship. Ayaw nilang mawala sa focus if they talk about replacing the head coach,” he said. “Every time there was a vacancy with San Beda, my name will always pop up because I come from San Beda.”

“When they announced that coach Boyet was  going to the PBA, I was just ready,” Jarin added.

Known for handling younger players, Jarin will finally get his big shot as the Red Lions’ head tactician. He thinks that his years of service with the Blue Eaglets and Blue Eagles will help him out in his new adventure.

“For me personally, I’m equipped with handling a college team because I’ve been an assistant for the Ateneo Blue Eagles for 15 years,” Jarin shared. “I’ve learned from very good coaches such as Joe Lipa, Sandy Arescapochaga, Joel Banal, and Norman Black. Yung mga philosophies nila, yung success pati na rin yung losses nila, kasama rin ako doon.”

When Jarin takes over the Red Lions, he will be burdened with great expectations as San Beda has won eight of the last nine NCAA men’s basketball titles including their current five-peat.

“Of course credit goes to former coaches Koy Banal, Frankie Lim, Ronnie Magsanoc, and Boyet Fernandez. Hopefully I get to continue the winning ways of the Red Lions,” he said.

“After winning five championships, you don’t have to change much. Konting fine-tuning lang siguro to adjust because of the players you lose to graduation. Three players lang yung nawala. I’m inheriting a 12-man pool. Hopefully, everyone will come back and play for San Beda one more year.”

Compared to the UAAP, Jarin said that basketball looked much different compared to the NCAA.

“The competition in the NCAA is more physical than the UAAP and it’s a faster game. There’s more freedom in playing in the NCAA,” Jarin said. “Nakita ko rin what the other teams can do. We’ll sit down with the coaches to start plotting what we want to do.”