Multi-titled mentor Oliver Almadro’s position as head coach of Ateneo de Manila University women’s volleyball team remains in status quo pending the school’s official decision.
“I don’t know. I have no idea about any announcement. I’m staying put, I’m just here around the corner, and I’m just waiting about what the announcement will be. As coaches, we are only as good as our last performance,” Almadro said on Tuesday.
Almadro drew flak after the embattled Blue Eagles’ disappointing finish in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 85.
Ateneo on his Almadro’s season as women’s coach missed the Final Four for the first time since 2009 as it closed its campaign with a 4-10 win-loss record – the Blue Eagles worst showing in 14 years.
“No matter [the] sacrifice or [the] willingness to deliver what you want, our job as a coach is really not an easy one. We have to take care of the players’ mentality, character, holistic values, life, formation and it’s not always about as they use to say the result is not always better than the performance,” Almadro said.
“Sometimes you don’t get the result that you get but you can never discount the performance of all the coaches in the Philippines.”
Almadro took over the coaching reins of Ateneo women’s team in late 2018 as a replacement for Thai mentor Tai Budit after a successful stint with the men’s squad he steered to three straight titles from 2015 to 2017.
The Blue Eagles won their third overall crown in Almadro’s first year before finishing third in Season 84.
“Right now, still, I’m staying put. Whatever happens, I’ll wait for the official (announcement). So far I have received none. So I just want to get the right announcement,” he said.
Almadro accepted the fact that coaches could only do so much.
“I’ve heard there are a lot of coaching changes but us coaches, whatever role, whatever assignment we’re given, we will do the best that we can. We will offer our life for the institution that we work for,” he said.
Other schools have made coaching changes after the last UAAP season.
Jerry Yee left Adamson University to take over the spot of Jumbo Dimaculangan as head coach of University of the East. JP Yude got Yee’s vacated role while National University named Norman Miguel as new mentor replacing Karl Dimaculangan.
