Aldin Ayo. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Aldin Ayo will now take his colorful coaching act to the PBA after being formally given the reins at Converge.
The FiberXers issued a late Wednesday press release announcing Ayo as the successor of Jeffrey Cariaso, who was relieved of his duties despite steering the team to a quarterfinal appearance in the Philippine Cup.
Earlier in the day, Converge sent out statements from team owner Dennis Anthony Uy and governor Chito Salud, thanking Cariaso for his short tour of duty.
“We are excited with what he brings to the table,” said Uy. “We’ve had the chance to discuss the direction of our team and the vision that we have regarding our brand of play.
“We have young players with energy and potential who are ready to compete as a team still finding chemistry and its identity. We believe coach Ayo has the background to develop these players into an exciting and cohesive unit,” Uy added.
Ayo is no stranger to success, having steered Letran to the National Collegiate Athletic Association championship in 2015 and La Salle to the 2016 University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) crown behind his trademark pressure defense popularly described as “Mayhem.”
But Ayo also dealt with controversy in 2020 when he was banned by the UAAP for staging a training bubble, unauthorized at the time due to COVID-19 restrictions, in his hometown of Sorsogon while still in charge of University of Santo Tomas.
His recent job was being the head trainer of the Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3×3 program that saw teams compete in numerous Fiba 3×3 events. He resigned last week, citing the poor health of his mother who is suffering from cancer.
It was also Ayo’s mom that convinced him to take up the FiberXers role, according to Ayo.
“She told me that she wants to see me coach in the PBA. She doesn’t want to see me just sitting around the house,” said Ayo.
Now, Ayo hopes to take the FiberXers to the next level with a young roster anchored by Jeron Teng, Abu Tratter, RK Ilagan and rookie Justine Arana.
“Heading the team isn’t an achievement for me, it’s actually a responsibility. Rest assured, we’re going to do our best and hopefully, it’ll be enough to win us a championship,” he said.