Bacon Austria has come full circle with Ateneo de Manila University.
From leading the then-Blue Eaglets to the UAAP Season 69 high school boys’ basketball championship — where he also earned Most Valuable Player honors — to helping the Blue Eagles win multiple collegiate titles and assisting both the men’s and women’s teams, the 37-year-old son of Leo Austria now finds himself in a new role: head coach of Ateneo’s 19-and-under team.
This opportunity arose after Ford Arao stepped down last year to move to New Zealand.
“It feels great to give back to the place where my career started. Everything really began here at Ateneo High School. I was first a player, then an assistant coach during the Anton (Asistio), Thirdy (Ravena), Aaron (Black), Matt, and Mike (Nieto) era. Later on, I served as a manager during the Kai (Sotto), Geo (Chiu), Dave (Ildefonso), SJ (Belangel), Jason (Credo), Joaqui (Manuel), Forthsky (Padrigao), Ian (Espinosa), and Josh (Lazaro) era,” he recalled.
“I had already told myself I was done coaching, but opportunities like this don’t come often. At that time, this was the only coaching job I would have taken. Sometimes, you don’t get a second chance — so I said yes.”
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
Though he was officially named head coach only late last year, Austria is glad to inherit a team that already has strong pieces in place.
Ateneo’s roster for UAAP Season 88 is deeper than in previous years, featuring Noah Banal, Ziv Espinas, Jay M. Leal, and YJ Lacsamana.
With Alfonso Tan sidelined by an ACL tear, young guns Zane Kallos and Q. Molina will handle the backcourt.
The squad will also feature a formidable big man in Nigerian Jude Eriobu, who dominated in the Asiabasket Youth League last month.
(C) Asiabasket Youth League
“The transition has been great, with a few adjustments from when I was an assistant coach with the women’s team last year. I try to treat the players as adults, but sometimes I forget that I’m handling 15-, 16-, and 17-year-olds, with only a few 18-year-olds on the team. This is a very young squad compared to some UAAP teams, which are mostly composed of 18- and 19-year-olds,” said Austria, whose staff is led by another former Blue Eagle, Paolo Dizon.
“I also came in a bit late, so the coaching staff and player pool were already set. I wasn’t able to recruit or bring anyone with me. Fortunately, I already knew most of the coaching staff, and they’ve been very easy to work with.”
Compared to his playing days, Austria admits that high school basketball has changed significantly. Ateneo itself is no longer the powerhouse it once was, missing the Final Four for the past three seasons.
“It’s definitely tougher, and the team dynamics have changed. I’m happy that the principal has been so supportive with school matters and more open about everything. Don’t get me wrong — the academic standards are still the same, which is why it’s always harder to compete. I always tell the players that if you can survive being a student-athlete at Ateneo High School, you can go anywhere,” he said.
“I don’t have any recruits coming into the season, but I’m glad Coach Ford built a competitive team before he left. I’m trying to take things one day at a time and stay present this year. Yes, the future is important, but if I focus on taking care of the present, the rest will follow.”
(C) Asiabasket Youth League
During the Asiabasket tournament, Ateneo placed third, beating National University Nazareth School 104-79 in the bronze match. Far Eastern University-Diliman, University of Santo Tomas, and University of the East are considered the favorites this season.
Austria is tempering expectations in his first year, but his competitive spirit remains intact. He is determined to end his alma mater’s semifinals drought and build from there.
“The first goal I set is the hardest: for everyone to pass the school year and move up to the next grade. The second goal is to compete and, eventually, win the championship. And the most important goal is for them to become better players and better people, on and off the court — to be champions in life as well as in the game,” said Austria, who was part of Norman Black’s staff during Gilas Men’s golden run in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games.
“I’ve told them this since day one. We are student-athletes. I studied here at Ateneo too, and I know it’s tough to balance school and sports, but as I’ve said before, it can be done — and it’s always worth it!”
Ateneo opens its UAAP campaign against UE on Sunday at the Blue Eagle Gym.
