Lyceum Pirates in the NCAA. INQUIRER PHOTO/TRISTAN TAMAYO
MANILA, Philippines — Longtime assistant Jeff Perlas has been named new head coach of the Lyceum Pirates.
Perlas was endorsed by Topex Robinson to replace him at the helm and continue the program he started in 2015.
“Our head coach in Lyceum will be coach Jeff. This is the decision our school, headed by sir Roberto P. Laurel, made,” said Robinson, who was recently appointed as interim head coach of Phoenix in the PBA.
Robinson will still have a key role with Lyceum but as team consultant. He also remains as the school’s director of basketball operations.
The head coaching stint with the Pirates is Perlas’ first in the NCAA, though he is no rookie in the field.
The 43-year-old Perlas, a product of Philippine School of Business Administration, began his coaching career as an assistant in PSBA from 2004-05 and as head coach of St John’s Academy’s high school team in the same year.
Perlas had also been one of Eric Altamirano’s assistants at Centro Escolar University from 2008-2010 and National U from 2013-14 where he was part of the Bulldogs coaching staff that guided the school to a title in UAAP Season 77.
Perlas said he intends to stick mostly with the things that Robinson had already built especially the culture.
“That’s what he established and the hardest to establish in a team is the culture. Once you have that, it’s going to be easier to teach the Xs and Os. That’s why every time we get new recruits, we look at their character,” Perlas said in Filipino.
“I guess just a little tweak with the system but the ‘Love, Serve, and Care’ culture will remain. Maybe upgrade it a little bit.”
Lyceum will be led by mainstays Reymar Caduyac, Renzo Navarro, and Jayson David. Transferee Alvin Baetiong will also join the Pirates along with rookies Mac Guadana, John Barba, and Matthew Bravo.