Scribes hail best collegiate coaches

The Collegiate Press Corps (CPC) will honor seven of the best coaches in the collegiate level, led by mentors in volleyball and women’s basketball for the first time, when it stages its annual Awards Night presented by San Miguel Corporation at Discovery Suites Manila in Ortigas on 17 June.

The CPC added five more recipients of the prestigious Coach of the Year (COTY) Awards following the staging of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 86 and National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Season 99.

Haydee Ong of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) will be hailed as the UAAP Women’s Basketball COTY after steering the Growling Tigresses to their first UAAP title in 16 years, ending the seven-peat reign of no less than the National University (NU) Lady Bulldogs.

The CPC will also honor the stellar rise of volleyball coaches in both collegiate leagues for the first time in the grand ceremony backed by Discovery Suites as official venue partner and Jockey as minor sponsor.

Over at the UAAP, NU’s coach Dante Alinsunurin will be named the Men’s Volleyball COTY for winning a dynastic four-peat with the Bulldogs following a sweep of the UST Golden Spikers in the finals.

The CPC will also honor the stellar rise of volleyball coaches in both collegiate leagues.

Norman Miguel, for his part, will take home the UAAP Women’s Volleyball COTY plum for bringing the Lady Bulldogs back to the promised land after missing out on the championship last year at the hands of La Salle. Miguel pushed NU back to the crown in dominant fashion, sweeping the Golden Tigresses in the process.

The NCAA had no shortage of coaching greatness as well with Sammy Acaylar of University of Perpetual Help System Dalta winning the NCAA Men’s Volleyball COTY. Acaylar showed his mettle in the coaching post after pushing the Altas to 11-0 sweep all the way to the NCAA Season 99 crown for their fourth straight title.

Jerry Yee, on the other hand, will be the NCAA Women’s Volleyball COTY for authoring the College of Saint Benilde’s three-peat, highlighted by 40-and-counting wins in a row.

In the traditional side of the awards, Topex Robinson will be feted with the UAAP Men’s Basketball COTY after steering La Salle to the Season 86 title at the expense of the University of the Philippines to snap a seven-year drought.