Tab Baldwin has built a winning tradition at Ateneo de Manila University, and now he’s carved his name deeper into UAAP history.
The American-Kiwi tactician joined an exclusive club last Saturday when he steered the Blue Eagles to a nail-biting 85-83 overtime victory against Far Eastern University, notching his 100th UAAP win.
In doing so, he became only the fourth coach to hit the century mark in the Final Four era, standing alongside Ateneo’s Norman Black, multi-titled La Salle legend Franz Pumaren, and the late UST icon Aric del Rosario.
Just days later, Baldwin added to his tally as Ateneo escaped University of the East, 62-60, for a 2-0 start in Season 88. His updated record now sits at 101 wins against 37 losses, a sparkling 73.2-percent winning rate — broken down into an 86-28 slate in the eliminations and 15-9 in the playoffs.
Yet even with four UAAP championships and now 101 victories under his belt, Baldwin refuses to make it about himself. For him, the credit belongs to the athletes who carried the program’s banner — from the likes of Thirdy Ravena and Ange Kouame to SJ Belangel and William Navarro.
“It’s a pretty good start getting to 200, I’m 1-0. I don’t win any games. Ateneo has won 100 games where I’m labeled as the head coach,” Baldwin said after Wednesday’s win at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.
“The truth is, this is a team game, and the coach just plays a role. Basketball is about the players, and it should always be about the players.”
Beyond titles and milestones, Baldwin insists his true mission goes beyond the scoreboard.
The 67-year-old mentor, who recently signed a three-year extension to stay with Ateneo until Season 91, emphasized that the greatest triumph is preparing his players for life after basketball.
“I want every player coming out of our program to be a better person and a better basketball player,” Baldwin explained. “Through their academics and basketball work, I want them to have the opportunities they dream about and have worked to earn.
“Championships are what our alumni and bosses want, and I want that too. But the bigger goal is building futures.”
For Baldwin, the victories and banners in the rafters are the byproducts of something greater: doing right by his players.
And as long as that formula holds, Ateneo’s winning culture — on and off the court — will endure.
