MANILA, Philippines -- The assistant coach of last year?s high-profile national team made up of Philippine Basketball Association stars was chosen Monday to handle the under-achieving University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons in the 2008 UAAP varsity season.

It?s a daunting task, college basketball observers agree, for Aboy Castro, the low-profile chief deputy of national mentor Chot Reyes.

Castro will be at the helm of a team still reeling from a winless campaign last year.

School officials announced Monday Castro?s appointment to the job last held by Joe Lipa, who ironically rewarded UP with its only championship in 1986.

?By and large, he has a professional background as well as the credentials,? said Hercules Callanta, the College of Human Kinetics dean and UP?s representative to the UAAP board.

Chancellor Sergio Cao selected Castro, a 1992 UP chemical engineering graduate, among the nominees recommended by Callanta five months after the dismissal of Lipa.

Castro, who recently joined Talk ?N Text as Reyes? deputy in the PBA, will be the Maroons? third coach in four seasons. He is under pressure to perform well as the state university celebrates its centennial anniversary this year.

The Maroons lost all their 14 assignments in the elimination round last season by an average of 20.8 points.

The cerebral Castro, who is also a graduate of the Philippine Science High School, is scheduled to meet the team on Tuesday.

?We?re giving him time to do the necessary adjustments in the team,? said Callanta.

Mike Gamboa, Miguel de Asis, Woody Co and Martin Reyes are expected to banner the Maroons under Castro, who will be one of two new mentors in the 2008 season.

The Adamson University Falcons recently elevated coach Jing Ruiz as ?acting coach? after mentor William ?Bogs? Adornado?s contract expired last December. Ruiz will be the fifth Adamson coach in as many years.