UAAP: FEU coach Sean Chambers explains his unique playcalling

FEU coach Sean Chambers, right, looks on as an image of NBA star Trae Young pops up on the Tamaraws bench during their game against the Adamson Falcons in the UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball tournament at Smart Araneta Coliseum. Chambers and his coaching staff are using signs to better communicate to their players as to which play to run.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—PBA legend Sean Chambers made his coaching debut for Far Eastern University in the UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball tournament on Sunday.

And Chambers’ unique playcalling–using photo boards on the sidelines–quickly caught the attention of many.

The American mentor said the quirky signs from NBA star Trae Young to the Portland Trail Blazers logo make it easier for him and his coaching staff to communicate with his players on the floor amid the noise rather than the usual screaming and hand signals.

SCHEDULE: UAAP Season 87 basketball

“If you watch American football, especially in college, [it’s] one of the things they do because of the sound of the crowd and the noise. We’re trying to run a play for a specific player and they can’t hear me so we put up a sign that they all know what that sign is,” said Chambers.

FEU coach Sean Chambers explains the different signs his coaching staff raised during the game. #UAAPSeason87 @INQUIRERSports pic.twitter.com/h40R9IUnJQ

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“We have a play that’s actually called Trae Young so there’s a big picture of Trae Young. We have a play that’s called Portland so there’s the Portland Trail Blazers symbol. Then everything else that we run. It’s just something that will help everybody understand because my goal is when we’re running the play, running the set we all know what we’re doing especially when we’re trying to get to a specific player.”

FEU lost to Adamson, 59-47, in a game where Chambers felt his rookie-laden squad led by Veejay Pre, Janrey Pasaol, and Jedric Daa struggled to handle the pressure and first-game jitters.

READ: UAAP: Adamson shakes off slow start, beats FEU

“We’ll use it for the whole season. I think right now especially when we’re using five players out of high school, it’s a big atmosphere, it’s a big stage for them. I felt like Veejay, Janrey, and Jedric will gonna have a moment of just get acclimated to this atmosphere,” Chambers said.

Sean Chambers makes his coaching debut for FEU in UAAP Season 87.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

“They’re talented, they’re good and Mo (Konateh) as well as a high school kid basically we also want to put a sign up for them so they know what they’re doing. It’s a loud gym.”

Pre, who had eight points and five rebounds on his debut, admitted the pressure got the better of him but he’s in for more “signs” which the Tamaraws are eager to execute to perfection in their future games.

“Noong una kanina nagulat kami may ganun pala si coach Sean. Sabi niya para makita namin and pag tumawag siya ng play makita namin agad kasi pag nagsalita siya hindi namin marining. Masaya kami may ganun pala si coach Sean,” Pre said. “Halos same lang naman [with hand signal] pero yung kay coach kanina is may mga play bawat [picture].”

Adamson coach Nash Racela, who handled FEU and led it to its last championship in Season 78 in 2015, said the signs also “help the other teams in scouting” but he believes the future is bright for the young Tamaraws under the tutelage of the former Alaska import.

READ: UAAP: FEU coach Sean Chambers sets short-term goals for young team

“I think FEU’s doing the right thing when they gave coach Sean a long contract because puro bata yung players niya. They just have to be patient. I think in time they will grow. Imagine pag yung grupo na yan magkakasamama, how they’ll be three years from now, five years from now. They might be the team to beat. They just have to be patient,” Racela said.

Chambers is also aware of the consequences of using signs but adds that his unusual playcalling is here to stay.

“We may come up with a different sign next time or we’ll change the name of the player. In the States, people steal the signs. It became a big deal with the University of Michigan football,” said Chambers, who led Alaska to six PBA championships from 1991 to 1997. “At the college level, they use multiple signs so you don’t know what signs they’re actually using. It’s something that I think will be beneficial for a year especially if we get into the win streak and we start filling up the gym like it was yesterday.”

“Basically, same as what happens in the State when you’re wasting a lot of time to figure out my signs, you’re not preparing for your own team. So if you want to spend time to figure out what our signs mean, good luck, then you’re not putting time to take care of your own team,” he added. “No way we’re gonna outcoach anybody at this level myself included but I need to coach my kids up. I’m really gonna be worried by my own team than the other teams.”

Don’t be surprised to see images of Chambers’ former Alaska teammates in the Tamaraws’ coming games.

“I’m sure we’ll have a Johnny A play out there for sure. A Jojo Lastimosa. Maybe a Jeffrey Cariaso when we run our Jet play. We’ll use some of those guys but we gotta keep the other coaches on their toes and not give them all our secrets,” he said.