Black Magic for Blue Eagles

He strolls the sidelines with an authority that comes from experience. This is a man who started coaching in 1985, but his introduction to Philippine basketball began four years earlier. In 1981, young Norman Augustus Black was playing in the Detroit Pistons summer basketball league when he was offered a job on the other side of the world. "Jimmy Mariano, who was coach of Great Taste at the time, asked me if I wanted to come over and play in the Philippines," says Black. The lure of guaranteed money, something the Pistons couldn't offer then, helped change Norman Black's life in a way he could never have imagined.

After playing ball at Cardinal Givens High School and St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia, Black had made it to the NBA-level. Yet he took the challenge of playing the game he loved with teams named Tefelin, Great Taste, Alaska, and San Miguel Beer in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). Always considered an intelligent as well as a hard-working player, the late sportscaster Pinggoy Pengson dubbed him "That Old Black Magic" after a song from the 1950s. It was appropriate though, and another title would soon be placed on Black, that of "coach".

"It was former ambassador Danding Cojuangco who asked me to become a head coach in 1985," Coach Norman relates, "I had no desire to be a coach back then." He went on to say that the former ambassador probably heard something in Black's voice while he was doing some analysis for the TV broadcast of the PBA that made Cojuangco believe Black would be suited for coaching. The first man that the PBA ever dubbed "Mr. 100%" for his hard-work and effort throughout his career now moved from the court to the sidelines, a move that has taken him all the way to Loyola Heights.

Norman Black isn't just one of the best imports local basketball has ever seen. He is also one of the most successful coaches in PBA history. Countless titles, including the rare "Grand Slam" for winning three conference championships in the same season in 1989 cemented Black's reputation as a coach of the highest order. Last year, he was hired as a consultant of the Ateneo basketball team, someone who could watch the team from the stands, a bit distanced from the bench. Now, he makes the move back to the bench, tasked to bring the Blue Eagles back to the promised land.

After being involved in both college and professional basketball, Coach Norman says that the beauty of college ball is that "There's more energy from the players, they're also hungrier, and more willing to learn." It comes as no surprise that for a man who used to have a "basketball tips" segment during the PBA coverage some years back, it is that desire to teach student-athletes that excites him about the UAAP in general. Though he achieved so much success in his PBA stint, there's something fresh and exhilarating about coming to the premiere collegiate basketball league in the nation and trying to lift Ateneo over the hump.

"My coaching style is a combination of all the coaches I've played for," he states. Citing his high school coach Ray Mullins, college coach (and former Philadelphia 76er coach) Jim Lynam, former Piston coach Cazzie Russell, and PBA legends Tommy Manotoc and Baby Dalupan as his influences, one can see that Norman Black indeed learned from the best basketball minds. He was able to take something from each mentor, and apply it to a blueprint of success that he uses to this day.

What does he think of the Blue Eagle quintet that he has been put in charge of? "It's a good team, particularly when L.A. is bringing the energy and the leadership," adding that "It's a team that is learning and growing. Give us time and this will be a very good team." A lot of Ateneo supporters met Coach Norman's hiring with excitement, especially hoping that this coaching legend will help accelerate the development of Ateneo's big men. Coach Norman though shared this with us: "It's not just the big men, but also on our guards. We spend about 35 minutes everyday on skills training, and that's a lot since we basically spend a total of two hours for practice."

Coach Norman also related that he wants to develop "go-to moves" that each player can rely on in every game. He noticed that at this point in his career, sophomore Japeth Aguilar is more developed as a defender than as an offensive option, adding that "Japeth is probably the most developed defender in the league right now." As such, Coach Norman and his staff are encouraging Aguilar to concentrate on shooting jumphooks and jumpshots before pounding it inside. Among all of Ateneo's big men, Coach Norman sees Ford Arao as somebody with lots of potential. Look for the Eagles to continue to give Arao the ball in the low block to improve his confidence as well. Doug Kramer and Martin Quimson will also be getting more playing time this year in Black's system.

Make no mistake, Norman Black knew entering this 68th UAAP season that there would be pressure on him (particularly from the alumni) to make Ateneo a champion. But he is not fazed by this pressure. He acknowledges that the Ateneo alumni all have one opinion or another about how the team should be run and who should be on the court, but being the voice of reason, he asks that he be allowed to do the job he was hired to do. "People will criticize, and it's their right to do so," he explains, further saying "Still, we have to stay together as a team."

After the opening day loss to La Salle, some quarters were reacting like it was already the end of the world. To that, Coach Norman says "One game does not make a season. I always tell the team that it's a long road and that there will be ups and downs. There will be adversity, but what matters is how you handle the adversity." Norman Black, Ateneo coach, also shared that "In all my championship teams, they all had one thing in common: everyone surrendered themselves to the team." With a focus on team, and with a breadth of experience both on and off the basketball court to lean on, "Mister 100%" now brings his knowledge to Katipunan. For the fans of the blue and white, we can all hope that some of "That Old Black Magic" rubs off on the Ateneo team.