Powerade coach Bo Perasol has been offered the Ateneo Blue Eagles head coaching job, which will be vacated by Norman Black after the season.
Perasol himself revealed the offer to InterAKTV in a telephone interview on Friday.
“They’ve asked me if I can coach the team next season,” he said. “But I told them that my main priority right now is Powerade because we’re focused in our semifinal round campaign.”
Perasol is currently at the helm of the Tigers, which is in contention for the a semifinals seat in the ongoing Governors’ Cup.
Black, who has piloted the Blue Eagles to four straight titles, will step down from his post after the season to coach the Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters. He will replace Chot Reyes, who will take over the SMART-Gilas Pilipinas national program full time at the end of the PBA season.
The Ateneo job is among the most coveted in the country. Despite his involvement with Powerade, Perasol could look to go down to the college ranks, especially with the uncertainty surrounding the future of the franchise.
Despite repeated denials by team official Ronnie Asuncion that the team is not for sale, speculation has been rife about the future of the Coca-Cola franchise in the PBA. An InterAKTV report earlier revealed that management has held talks to sell the franchise to San Miguel Corporation, but both parties said that the sale did not push through.
Adding fuel to the fire has been the trade of some of the team’s best players. Star rookie Marcio Lassiter was shipped to the Petron Blaze Boosters along with veteran guard Celino Cruz, while starting center Doug Kramer was sent to Barako Bull.
Perasol is no stranger to college coaching, having spent a short time calling the shots for his alma mater, the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons, back in the early ’90s in an interim capacity.
Source: Rey Joble, InterAKTV
