Ramos tries to right Elite ship
It’s not easy taking over as head coach of the PBA’s doormat team in the course of a conference but Bong Ramos said yesterday he welcomes the challenge of turning the Blackwater Elite around with a personal goal of qualifying for the Commissioner’s Cup playoffs.
“I’m excited,” said the 57-year-old Ramos who was in previous coach Leo Isaac’s staff for two years before calling the shots for Stapac in the Indonesian league this past season. “It’s difficult because I can only do so much and I'm not a magician. It’s a process but I’m hoping to speed it up. I was in Manila on vacation from Indonesia when (team owner) Boss Dioceldo (Sy) called me for a meeting. Boss Dioceldo felt the team needed a change of direction.”
Ramos said after the meeting, he went back to Jakarta to wind up affairs. “My Stapac contract wasn’t over but I asked permission to leave,” he said. “We have a gentleman’s agreement that if ever there will be an offer as head coach in the PBA, UAAP or NCAA, I can ask for a release as long as it’s not during the Indonesian season.” Ramos recently piloted Stapac to the league semifinals and fell a win short of making it to the finals.
Ramos said coaching a PBA team isn’t a new thing for him. He was head coach of FedEx, Air21 and Barako and assistant coach with Ginebra, TNT and Blackwater. Ramos also coached Mapua in the NCAA, Batangas in the MBA, PLDT in the MVP Olympics and Malacanang in the UNTV Cup. “It’s similar to what happened to me in 2010-11 with Brunei in the ABL,” he said. “I got a call from Benny Ang, who’s a friend of Tim Cone, to coach Brunei after starting the season 0-3. I accepted the offer and after two days of practice, we beat Indonesia with two Filipino imports Bryan Faundo and Chester Tolomia. All we wanted was to upgrade the situation and compete as hard as we could.”
Ramos said he’s determined to make things work at Blackwater. “Communication is key,” he said. “Players must understand what to do.
It’s not a one-way street. Players must believe in our system. I’ve talked to Jarrid (Famous) one-on-one. I’ve explained to the team my rules on offense and defense. When we do things in practice that aren’t right, I’ll stop to explain what to do because I want to break bad habits. When players aren’t executing, they’re not happy. They’re not enjoying the game and there’s a chain reaction. They commit mistakes and forget to play as a team. I want everyone to work hard at practice, to enjoy and I’m sure what they do in practice, they’ll do in the game. It’s a matter of attitude and focus. We want to be confident in executing. We need to know when to pass and to shoot. We must trust each other on the court.”
Ramos said he never expected to get the job. “This is God’s plan,” he said. “In Indonesia, I lived alone because my wife stayed in Manila with our two daughters who are already working. Once, my older daughter visited me in Jakarta for three weeks. Going back to the PBA is a blessing and a new life for me.”
Ramos’ first game as Blackwater head coach was a loss as GlobalPort won, 117-106, last May 2. But there were clear signs of improvement. Blackwater led for 22:27 minutes and was on top by as much as 12 points. From an average of 30 turnovers a game, Blackwater cut it to 24 against GlobalPort and had 23 assists from a 19.2 clip. The Elite had more free throws converted, 20-of-23 to 11-of-19 and more threepointers made, 8-of-24 to 6-of-24. GlobalPort, however, outshot Blackwater, 52.6 percent to 42.9 from the field as the Elite collapsed down the stretch. Now at 0-4, Blackwater has nowhere to go but up and Ramos said he’s optimistic the transformation will come sooner than later.