It had been ten years since Lyceum of the Philippines University head coach Jamike Jarin coached in the NCAA, and the veteran tactician couldn’t have been happier at the manner in which he clinched his first win in the Grand Old League since 2016.
Jarin’s lengthy coaching résumé includes stints leading the Ateneo juniors’ basketball program from 1998 and serving as assistant for the men’s side, before heading on to the PBA to assist the Talk ’N Text coaching staff in 2010.
In 2015, he entered into his first foray at the helm of a collegiate squad, the ‘six-peat’ San Beda College program no less. Although he failed to continue the Red Lions’ championship streak in his first year, he immediately redeemed himself in Season 92, bringing the crown back to Mendiola.
After concluding his brief stint in the NCAA and taking his talents to the UAAP for both National University and University of the East, Jarin has found his way back to the country’s oldest collegiate league, now for LPU.
“It’s been a long journey, and I’m very fortunate to still be coaching and mentoring these young men. I’m just very grateful to the people of LPU, to the Laurel family, to [Dr. Allan Paul Layco], and of course for the boys that I’ve been coaching,” he said.
“They’ve been really wonderful; they’re great kids. And hopefully, we can get some more wins.”
In what was the NCAA’s first seniors basketball game at the historic PhilSports Arena in 27 years, Jarin also gave the venue significant importance in their 88-87 win over Mapúa University on Monday.
With his coaching career spanning 28 years of experience, Jarin made it a point to his Pirates how particularly personal it was for him to secure their first win of the season at the Pasig venue.
“Well, it’s been ten years since I coached my last NCAA game, and so here, playing here in PhilSports gives me a lot of memories. I’ve won a lot of championships in high school and college, and wins also in the PBA. So I was just fortunate to get another win here in PhilSports,” he said.
“PhilSports has been good to me. So mediyo kinilig lang kami dito when we found out when we were going to play here.”
It was the league’s first game at the venue since 1999.
His assistant, Jjay Alejandro, who played under Jarin at NU, spoke of this same importance after the win.
“Para kay Coach Jamike. Maraming history sa kanya ‘tong PhilSports eh. He won his championship here with Ateneo. Dito rin siya nanalo sa first coaching job niya sa PBA. So marami ‘tong meaning game na ‘to para sa amin at para kay Coach Jamike,” said Alejandro.
Two games into his new stint with Lyceum, Jarin is simply happy to still be coaching after nearly three decades. Now, he hopes to bring his decades of experience and success in the NCAA to a Pirates program that has been itching to break through for the past few years.
“Well, sinabi naman namin, like all coaches will say, let’s take it lang one game at a time. We just want to be competitive and just to give 110-percent,” he said.
“No matter the results might be, as long as we give it our all and we can be proud of how we work and tried to play, we will be happy with that.”
