UP coach Bo Perasol (MB photo | Rio Deluvio)

by Waylon Galvez

University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons head coach Bo Perasol says he holds no ill-feelings towards the Ateneo Blue Eagles, a team he previously coached for three seasons. Both teams will slug it out later in the 81st UAAP men’s basketball finals at the Mall of Asia (MOA) in Pasay City.

“This is true. I only feel gratefulness for Ateneo,” said Perasol on the eve of Game 1 of the best-of-three finals series.

“I’m thankful to the people who supported me during my stint there, including the MVP Group of boss Manny V. Pangilinan, officials of the school and every personality who helped me at Ateneo,” he added.

After his coaching stint in the PBA, Perasol signed a three-year deal to call the shots for Ateneo. He coached the Blue Eagles from 2013 to 2016 – three seasons filled with criticism as Ateneo failed to win a title.

In his maiden year at the helm, Ateneo failed to advance to the Final Four. They finished with an even 7-7 win-loss record.

The Blue Eagles did bounce back the following year, topping the elimination round with an improved 11-3 record to earn the No. 1 spot and enjoy a twice-to-beat bonus heading into the UAAP Final Four. However, they lost two games to then-fourth seeded and eventual champion National University.

In 2015, Ateneo wound up with the third-seed but lost to eventual champion Far Eastern University.

“Of course, there are people that will say something, some bad things. I don’t actually know them because some came out on social media. But on the decision makers who I know, they were very supportive,” said Perasol.

“It happened too here in UP during the first two seasons and early in the eliminations. People will always have opinions – some will say good things and some not good.”

“But as I’ve said, I’m grateful to Ateneo, to the bosses because it’s through them, their organization that I learned a winning program. Mo hard feelings, only respect to them,” said Perasol.

Although he knows several players he coached during his tenure, Perasol claims that he doesn’t see any advantage that he can use to give UP an edge in the coming best-of-three finals series.

The only sure thing he knows is that Ateneo will fight to the finish, the same fight Perasol expects from his UP players.

“It’s ‘One Big Fight’ against ‘U.P. Fight’ so it’s going to be a fight to the finish,” he said.

Tags: Ateneo Blue Eagles , Bo Perasol , UAAP , UAAP Final Four , UAAP men’s basketball , University of the Philippines