Aldin Ayo spent the first five years of his head coach career in the collegiate ranks.
He led Colegio de San Juan de Letran to the NCAA Season 91 championship while steering De La Salle University to the top during UAAP Season 79.
In 2019, he guided University of Santo Tomas to the Finals after a very long absence.
In the process, he also molded a lot of Knights, Green Archers, and Growling Tigers to be men, leading to careers in the Philippine Basketball Association.
Come a few days, Ayo enters a new challenge. He will be the head coach of PBA ball club Converge.
The decorated tactician knows that the PBA is a different beast.
Knowing that this is a different battlefield, Ayo wants his best soldiers beside him. And he promised that getting Aljun Melecio from Phoenix Super LPG is just the first of many transactions.
“Every time you go to war you need your best soldiers,” he posted on his social media account as Melecio joins the likes of his former wards Jeron Teng, Kevin Racal, Abu Tratter, and Jeo Ambohot in the FiberXers.
“More to come.”
However, it will need a lot of wheeling and dealing to get his former players from the other teams.
Rey Nambatac and Santi Santillan have blossomed into big stars in Rain or Shine while Bong Quinto has done well in Meralco so far.
Meanwhile, Jason Perkins is now the go-to guy for Phoenix. And well, it would be hard to figure in another deal with the Fuel Masters.
Melecio’s amigos Kib Montalbo and Andrei Caracut are in TNT and Rain or Shine, respectively.
Finally, Jerrick Balanza and Renzo Subido are in Northport.
But if the stars align, Ayo will definitely seize the moment in getting them.
