The head coaches of the doormat teams of the UAAP men’s basketball tournament are headed out of the league.
Derrick Pumaren of the University of the East (UE) Red Warriors confirmed his exit Wednesday, divulging no details on how he and UE severed ties.
The coach who gave the De La Salle University its first ever UAAP championship in 1989 revitalized his alma mater to a 9-5 record in 2014 to tie eventual champions National University Bulldogs for fourth place, before losing their elimination game, 49-51.
That was the only winning season for the Warriors since their 2009 Finals appearance.
Pumaren’s record in four seasons coaching the Warriors is 18-35, including back-to-back 3-11 season.
Yesterday, embattled UST head coach Rodil Boy Sablan was terminated after steering one of the winningest collegiate basketball teams in history to a 1-13 record.
Taking over a UST that came from a Finals stint in 2015, the Tigers, under Sablan, went on to win four of its next 28 games.
The Tigers also lost in the most lopsided game in UAAP history, 56-99, versus the Green Archers on October 23, 2016.
In their head-to-head matchup versus La Salle in games coached by Sablan, the Growling Tigers were kittens, losing by an average of 36 points.
Sablan was under fire after ex-Tiger standout Mario Bonleon commented on Sablan’s “play-for-pay” rule, his “confusing” coaching style, and his beef with players close to former champion coach Pido Jarencio. Sablan denied Bonleon’s allegations.
