Seventeen years since he first helmed the bench, Chito Victolero has returned home — not just to coach, but to chase that very important jewel that has been missing in his crown.

Yes, the former Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) champion coach had returned to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to guide his former school, Mapua University, as it tries to regain the title while fulfilling a personal mission.

For the 50-year-old mentor, the decision to return to the NCAA after more than a decade of PBA stint was something that he embraced immediately.

“Actually, at first, I wasn’t really interested because I wasn’t thinking of going back to college after coaching in the pros for 12 years,” said the amiable Victolero during his guesting at Off the Court last Thursday.

“Then, I thought that the trend is now different. College basketball is now different — it’s no longer about coaching. It’s also now about running a program and developing the young players.”

“But after consulting my family, my former teammates and former coaches, I decided to go back to college. I’m grateful and thankful to Mapua because they still accepted me.”

Victolero said coaching Mapua — the team that suffered more than three decades of title drought before winning the Season 100 crown and losing it again the following year — will never be easy.

“Yeah, I’m really excited. At the same time, there’s some pressure because I need to form a team, and our preparation is a bit late. But I still have time to develop my players and improve the system of my remaining players,” said Victolero, who will be replacing his former college teammate, Randy Alcantara.

“I’m very excited to be back here at my alma mater after 17 years. The last time I coached here was from 2009 to 2012.”

Coaching pedigree

A native of San Rafael, Bulacan, Victolero first joined the Cardinals in 1992 — the year after they won a breakthrough NCAA title.

He failed to lead Mapua to the title as San Sebastian College, bannered by superstars Rommel Adducul, Banjo Calpito, Rommel Daep, Brixter Encarnacion and Ulysses Tanigue, had ruled the league with an iron hand, winning five straight titles from 1993 to 1997.

Later, Victolero played for current San Miguel Corporation sports director Alfrancis Chua at Stag Pale Pilsen in the defunct Philippine Basketball League, where he won four titles.

When he turned pro, he joined San Juan Knights in the Metropolitan Basketball Association, winning three titles, before jumping to the PBA with Sta. Lucia tapping him as its 13th pick in the 2022 draft.

It was his three-year stint in the PBA that would be a crucial factor to his future as a coach.

‘We just want to be competitive and improve every day. I just started on Monday and we’re still getting to know each other — the system, the philosophy and the culture that we want to build here.’

Although he didn’t win any title, it was a catalyst for what’s to come as he was able to learn from some of the most brilliant minds in Philippine basketball.

He used that knowledge to call the shots for Mapua in 2009. He led the Cardinals to one Final Four appearance in 2010 but had a forgetable stint in the next two years, prompting him to step down before his contract expired.

From the NCAA, he started his PBA coaching stint as a deputy for Kia, now known as Terrafirma from 2014 to 2016. But it would be his head coaching stint in Magnolia in 2016 that gave him a breakthrough.

With the likes of Mark Barroca, PJ Simon and Ian Sanggalang, Victolero won the PBA Governors’ Cup title in 2018, where Hotshots defeated Alaska in six games.

“Coach Tim (Cone), coach Leo (Austria), even coach Yeng (Guiao) and coach Norman (Black), who used to be my coach at Sta. Lucia, they have been my inspiration in coaching, so I don’t want to say I beat them all, but it’s just that I was blessed to win this (a championship and this award),” said Victolero, a one-time winner of the PBA Coach of the Year award.

“They are our idols.”

He led the Hotshots back to the finals again in the Commissioner’s Cup in 2024, but they lost to powerhouse San Miguel Beer in six games, ultimately sending signals that it’s time for him to go to give way for rising star LA Tenorio, who was then fresh from leading Gilas Pilipinas Youth squad to a SEABA title.

Still, Victolero believes the body of work he built during his professional tenure still speaks for itself.

“I think the way the team performed had a factor because we weren’t able to make the semifinals and Finals (of the 49th season) compared to last year,” Victolero said.

“But I always felt that we were always there. We never missed the playoffs in my 22 conferences with the team, but they (management) had higher expectations. But that’s how things are, there are highs and lows in coaching.”

Injuries also played a role in shaping the outcome of that season.

“The injuries were a big factor, too, but I always tell the team that there’s no need for any excuses, and we will give our all with whatever we have. It also boiled down to one execution, one rebound and one basket,” Victolero said.

His departure from Magnolia might be a blessing in disguise as it opened the doors for him to come home.

Homecoming

While the championship run of Season 100 will always remain a milestone in Mapua’s history, Victolero knows the current reality is far different.

With star guard Clint Escamis graduating, Victolero isn’t putting any added pressure on Mapua.

“We can’t forget the history of Coach Randy ending the 33-year title drought of the Mapua Cardinals. Hopefully, if we can match or even surpass what they achieved in Season 100, that would be great but, of course, it’s also a process,” Victolero said, aware of the challenges he is facing.

“We lost many players from our roster, so it’s a rebuilding process again. The management knows that.”

The challenge ahead is daunting, but Victolero refuses to make promises beyond effort and commitment.

The first few days of his return have been about reconnecting with the program and learning the dynamics of the current roster.

“Hopefully, we’ll be competitive this season. Who knows what will happen, but we’ll do our best effort.”

“We just want to be competitive and improve every day. I just started on Monday and we’re still getting to know each other — the system, the philosophy and the culture that we want to build here.”

Despite the uncertainty surrounding a rebuilding team, Victolero has been encouraged by the enthusiasm he has seen from the players.

“Based on what I’ve seen in the last three days, the players are very excited. I don’t want to expect something big right away,” Victolero said.

“I told them I just want them to improve every day — even if it’s one percent or half a percent improvement, as long as we’re improving.”

“Right now we’re in the rebuilding stage and we want to add talent. Our team isn’t complete yet.”

For those who followed Victolero’s coaching career in the professional league, one thing has always been clear — his teams are built on defense.

That identity will remain intact in his return to college basketball.

“Since day one — even when I was coaching in college until the PBA — I’ve always had a defensive mindset. So we will try to become one of the top defensive teams in the NCAA,” Victolero said.

“That’s our goal, but it’s not something that will happen overnight. It’s a process.”

“Offensively, we want good ball movement and a fast-paced offense. Hopefully, I can implement everything within the next five months before the opening of the NCAA.”

But above all, Victolero wants his players to compete with heart — the kind of grit that has long defined the Mapua basketball program.

“We’ll just keep working. Whatever result we get — whether we reach the Final Four or not — what I can promise is that these kids will fight. That’s the toughness of the Mapua Cardinals: our hustle and energy.”

As Victolero, once dubbed as King Cardinal, essays another chapter, one that brings him back to a familiar ground where he experienced his rise as a player and fall as a coach, he will have an entirely different mission.

And like every rebuilding journey, it will not start with championships or massive expectations. It will start with a simple pursuit of getting better every single day.