Multi-titled mentor Louie Alas faces a huge challenge after Ateneo de Manila University tapped him to serve as interim coach following the tragic deaths of his players — Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili — in a drowning incident in Dipaculao, Aurora last week.

No official announcement has been made, but Ateneo president Fr. Roberto “Bobby” Yan reportedly instructed Alas to serve as the “temporary coach” of the Blue Eagles, who expressed their willingness to see action in Season 89 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines men’s basketball tournament.

Alas is believed to be the perfect coach to run the program that is still grieving the untimely deaths of prized recruit Baterbonia and foreign student athlete Adili.

Aside from having a very solid connection with the players for being the father of incoming rookie Kieffer Alas, the 62-year-old Alas is also a decorated tactician who won three National Collegiate Athletic Association titles at Letran College, gold medal in the Southeast Asian Games in 1999 and two Philippine Basketball Association crowns as assistant coach at Purefoods in 1997 and Alaska in 2013.

Before landing at Ateneo in February 2024, the defense-minded Alas served as head coach of Phoenix Super LPG from 2017 until the pandemic in 2020.

Ateneo coach Tab Baldwin and his assistants, Jon Jacinto and Sandro Santos, supervised the boot camp that turned into one of the tragedies that serves as a dark moment in Philippine sports. Baldwin stepped down with team manager Epok Quimpo while both Jacinto and Santos are being subject to intense questioning by various investigating agencies.

“Coach Louie has been assigned to serve as temporary coach following the resignation of Coach Tab during an online meeting with players and their parents last Sunday,” the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity pending the official announcement of the school.

“These grieving players are like sons to him. He is their father figure. So, there’s really no perfect person to handle the program but Coach Louie.”

DAILY TRIBUNE tried, but Alas couldn’t be reached for comment.

But Alas, despite being an insider and father of a blue-chip rookie, is not yet a shoo-in for one of the most coveted jobs in amateur basketball.

Multiple sources revealed that Ateneo is also looking at former Blue Eagles mentor Norman Black, former Gilas Pilipinas team captain Jimmy Alapag, and former deputy Sandy Arespacochaga to replace Baldwin in a full-time capacity.

Black is seriously being considered after leading the Blue Eagles to five UAAP titles, while Alapag also made it to the shortlist after gaining significant experience during his three-year stint as assistant coach of the Sacramento Kings in the National Basketball Association.

Of course, Arespacochaga, a longtime Ateneo deputy, is also in the running despite recently getting appointed as head coach of the Gilas Pilipinas girls squad and assistant coach of Chot Reyes at TNT Tropang 5G.

Still, the source believes that Alas is the most logical choice.

“He is very close to the players. He understands them and what they are going through,” the source said.

“The Xs and Os are already there. Coach Tab had already established the system. Now, you need a coach who can sustain the momentum and help the players honor their fallen teammates by winning the UAAP title.”