A pair of veteran tacticians will be onboard to help University of Santo Tomas head coach Pido Jarencio turn the teams’ fortunes around for the coming University Athletic Association Season 87 men’s basketball wars.
Former UAAP champion coach Juno Sauler and Peter Martin will be playing an active role on the Tigers’ bench with UST hoping to snap out of a concerning slump it has suffered for years.
The team, led by Jarencio, San Miguel Corporation sports director Alfrancis Chua, Institute of Physical Education and Athletics head Fr. Rodel Cansancio, OP, and team managers Eric Ang and Waiyip Chong welcomed the two coaches in an informal dinner on Wednesday.
“Both are winners and what we’re really happy about is the invaluable knowledge they would impart to our players to help us build a winning culture,” Jarencio, who replaced former mentor Bal David last year, said.
The Tigers brought in Jarencio, who steered UST to its last championship in 2006, to replace David after just one season.
However, the rebuilding Tigers managed to only win two games in 14 outings and finished at the bottom of the standings.
The team believes it will all change in the coming season especially with the arrival of Sauler and Martin.
Sauler is a former UAAP champion coach, steering the Jeron Teng-led La Salle to the crown in 2013. He has since worked as an assistant first in Ginebra and currently with Magnolia.
Meanwhile, Martin has been an assistant coach for San Miguel for the better part of the past decade and has established himself as an integral part of the Beermen’s dynasty.
It’s the latest of SMC’s support to the hard-luck UST squad which is looking to reach the Final Four for the first time since 2019.
