As University of the Philippines celebrated its three UAAP Season 87 first-semester championships in Men’s Basketball, Men’s Athletics, and Women’s Badminton during a bonfire ceremony, UP OASD Director and former Fighting Maroons coach Bo Perasol took a moment to remember his good friend, Ricky Dandan.
Dandan, who passed away on November 13 due to illness, was a longtime collaborator of Perasol.
The two worked together with their alma mater UP and Ateneo de Manila University, as well as with the Powerade Tigers in the PBA.
Even until his passing, Dandan worked alongside Perasol as part of the UP OASD.
Following UP’s fourth men’s basketball title last Sunday, Perasol paid tribute to his close friend, who played a key role in the Fighting Maroons’ resurgence starting in Season 81 – an effort that laid the foundation for the program’s current success.
“Ever since kasama ko naman talaga sila Coach Ricky even when we were in the PBA, even when I was with Ateneo,” said Perasol.
“So what we envisioned for the program was really to win. What we really wanted was to get the chance to win this championship, and it happened,” he added.
“I’m sure he’s really happy about this, so any time that we give our best, we’ll remember him because he gave his best for UP.”
As true vanguards of UP athletics, Perasol shared how he and Dandan made way for Goldwin Monteverde and his staff to take over the Fighting Maroons during the extended off-season caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
While the duo led UP to a dream run to the finals in Season 81 – the Fighting Maroons’ first appearance in the championship in 32 years – and earned a bronze medal in Season 82, they recognized that change was needed for the school to clinch a championship.
“Okay, so yeah, the idea really was that, with Coach Ricky, when I was talking to him, we were willing to sacrifice ourselves for the betterment of the program because we knew Coach Gold was going to bring in new players. Also, we all understood what it took for us to win,” said Perasol.
“The idea really was we were going to upgrade the team, in terms of our ability to win games. So that was really important to our minds.
“I’m really proud because the transition was seamless. We really thought it was time to turn over the coaching staff responsibilities to Coach Gold’s new staff. It produced results – it was a no-brainer for us,” he continued.
Now that the Fighting Maroons have won two basketball championships in four seasons, Perasol and Dandan’s mission has been accomplished.
As Perasol and the UP community celebrated during the bonfire, he gave one final tribute to his brother-in-arms, who was not only a key figure in UP sports but also a true and great friend to all who knew him.
“As I said, Coach Ricky was really my support in terms of my coaching. He was there for me when I needed him most – both as a coach and as a friend. That was really what was important.”
