It did not take long for the National University Bulldogs to look for a successor to the vacancy left by one-time UAAP champion head coach Eric Altamirano.
According to multiple sources, the men’s basketball team’s management, headed by Manny Sy of New Golden City Builders, have narrowed down their choices to Jamike Jarin of the San Beda Red Lions and Jeff Napa of the Letran Knights.
“Management wants [Coach] Jamike but the alumni want [Coach] Napa,” one of the sources said.
Jarin though still has two years left in his four-year contract with San Beda. The Red Lions are coming off a championship season, defeating the Arellano University Chiefs in two games.
The NCAA champion and multi-time UAAP Juniors champion coach though did not comment on the matter, saying that he was “flattered” to be on NU’s shortlist.
Napa, on the other hand, is a National University lifer. After his playing career, he was able to jumpstart his coaching career with the Bulldogs back in 2005, serving as an assistant to Manny Dandan. In 2011, he was tasked to mentor the school’s juniors basketball program. He steered the team to three juniors championships while serving as assistant to Altamirano at the seniors level.
However, Napa is still with the Letran Knights with a year remaining in his contract. But even when he is still contracted to Letran, he is serving as consultant to the Bullpups.
Letran, through school rector Fr. Clarence Marquez, OP, has went on record to say that Napa is a gift from the NU.
“We are not taking him away from NU, we are accepting him as a gift,” he said during the school’s formal announcement of Napa as chief mentor.
As of publishing, Napa has yet to respond to our calls.
