Derrick Pumaren, who should have been the architect of La Salle’s first three-peat, is back as head coach of the Archers in the coming Season 83 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines men’s basketball tournament.
The 60-year-old Pumaren is returning after 29 years to coach a squad that missed a trip to the finals in the last two years.
The Green Archers’ squad was a hurting team when he left them in Season 54, the year when La Salle forfeited a crown that it should have won against the Far Eastern University Tamaraws.
FEU went on to take the title after Pumaren refused to order the team to show up in the replay of Game 1 on Oct. 12, 1991, with Tamaraws’ coach Arturo Valenzona instead getting the victory ride over the Green Archers’ no-show.
Coaching the University of the East Warriors from 2014 to 2017 and the Centro Escolar University Scorpions from 2017 to 2019 has readied Pumaren for the big task ahead of rebuilding the team.
Fondly called “Manong Derrick,” Pumaren will be taking over coaching staff members Jermaine Byrd and Gian Nazario, who both served as head coaches before him. School officials, though, said Byrd and Nazario will stay on to help the Green Archers.
The school formally made Pumaren’s appointment known only last Monday, a week after he officially came on board last Jan. 1.
The Green Archers will play on with graduating seniors Justine Baltazar and Aljun Melecio on board.
Other members of the team, who could come back are Encho Serrano, Joaqui Manuel, Kurt Lojera, Jordan Bartlett, Tyrus Hill, Don Lim, Francis Escandor and Ralph Cu. Senegalese center Amadou Ndiaye is also expected to suit up.
Pumaren handled the Green Archers from 1986 to 1991, winning back-to-back crowns in 1989 and 1990, with Johnedel Cardel, Tonyboy Espinosa, Teddy Monasterio, two-time MVP Jun Limpot, Elmer Lago, Gee Abanilla, Dindo Pumaren and Dwight Lago in the roster.
Season 54 was a painful final season for Pumaren back then.
La Salle came out on top with a 12-2 win-loss record in the eliminations, giving them a twice-to-beat incentive in the finals.
They won an 80-77 victory over FEU. With La Salle ahead, officials working the game committed a technical error in the last 2:26, when they failed to notify the referees of the game that Green Archer Tony Espinosa already committed his fifth and final foul against Johnny Abarrientos.
Espinosa was still able to play for a few seconds more before Valenzona and team manager Anton Montinola approached the table officials to point out the mistake.
The game was delayed for about five minutes. When play resumed, UAAP commissioner Boy Codiñera and his officials failed to slap the necessary technical foul on La Salle.
The Green Archers went on to win the contest. But FEU placed the game under protest and the UAAP board deferred the traditional post-game award.
They wanted to wait until a decision on FEU’s protest could be reached.
UAAP officials ordered a replay of the championship match, but La Salle never showed up for the championship rematch.