ANTIPOLO — it couldn’t get any more poetic after Willy Wilson recorded his first official win as a PBA head coach at the expense of his dearest mentor.
The 45-year-old on Sunday night finally got a victory under his belt since being handed the keys to the franchise when he steered the Fuel Masters to an upset of San Miguel to barge into the Season 50 Philippine Cup win column.
But making it all the more special was the fact that he accomplished as much by beating the decorated Leo Austria, whom he sees as more than just a coach.
“I owe a lot of me being in the PBA to him and he knows that,” he said during the postgame presser of their 109-103 win at the Ynares Center here.
Wilson played under the former cager-turned-strategist during his younger years in the Philippine Basketball League as part of the successful Welcoat team during the early 2000s before he joined the pro ranks in 2004.
Fast forward to now, and the student and his mentee squared off in a coaching battle for the first time, with the DLSU product extremely honored.
But it wasn’t just Austria alone that made Wilson excited now that he had taken the first steps as the chief bench tactician of a young Phoenix team.
He and the Fuel Masters actually began their Season 50 journey against TNT last Friday, and that playday was apparently circled on his calendar, as his first game as a league HC was against another former coach in Chot Reyes.
So, that’s two truly special figures in his life–and two of the best minds in the PBA–which he came across with in only his first two games at the helm.
“Na-excite ako na Talk N Text and San Miguel not because they’re really, really strong teams, but because I played for both coaches,” he said.
“Coach Chot was my coach when I played for San Miguel,” added Wilson, who played for the Beermen from 2006-08 before being traded to Ginebra. “And then, Coach Leo was my coach when I was in the PBL playing for Welcoat.
“Doon ako na-excite when I saw the schedule. I looked at it as a great opportunity when the master meets the student, parang ganun.”
No doubt that he proved himself worthy after getting one against Austria, but Wilson chooses to stay grounded as he writes this chapter of his career.
“Hindi eh. I think the adjustment doesn’t stop,” he said when asked if he can now breathe more comfortably. “Tuloy-tuloy ‘yung adjustment. Pinakita namin kanina, is just a small portion of ‘yung gusto namin ilabas sa court.”
“The team is relatively new. We have seven new guys, so these guys are still learning how to get the best out of each other–and I’m still learning how to get the best out of them. And I’m still trying to find the best in me as well.”
