Norman Black, Frankie Lim named top coaches

MANILA, Philippines – Two champion coaches will share the limelight when the UAAP-NCAA Press Corps and Smart hold the Collegiate Basketball Awards on Jan. 21.

Ateneo tactician Norman Black, who steered the Eagles to a fourth straight UAAP title, and Frankie Lim of NCAA back-to-back titlist San Beda will share coach of the year honors for the third time in the annual event at the Gateway Suites in Cubao.

In another remarkable campaign, Black took a well-drilled and disciplined Ateneo squad to the UAAP summit with a good mix of rookies and veterans on his roster.

A firm believer of the mantra that “defense wins championships,” Black, a grand slam coach in the PBA, will be receiving his fourth coach of the year award.

The Eagles finished the season with a 13-1 record, ousted University of Santo Tomas in the Final Four, before sweeping Far Eastern U in the best-of-three finals.

Black capped the year with an accomplishment in the international front by steering the Sinag Pilipinas team to a gold-medal run in the 2011 Southeast Asian Games last November in Indonesia.

Lim will get his third citation as he helped sustained San Beda’s success just a year after the Lions achieved a perfect season in the NCAA.

Squeezing the best out of his role players in the absence of former MVP Sudan Daniel, Lim piloted the Lions to a 16-2 record, before eliminating Jose Rizal U in the Final Four.

Ranged against a familiar foe in San Sebastian in the finals, the Lions—taking Lim’s instructions to heart—came out on top of a bruising series for a record-tying 16th crown. It was Lim’s fourth title in five years as coach of his alma mater.

Black’s two prized rookies in Kiefer Ravena and Greg Slaughter are also part of the Mythical Five that will be awarded during the program.

Lim joins Lions shooting guard Garvo Lanete in the honor roll, which also includes Bobby Ray Parks of National University and Calvin Abueva of San Sebastian.