PBA: Pat Aquino banks on same coaching philosophy in turning Blackwater to contenders

Patrick Aquino is keeping things the same with regard to his coaching style as he starts a new era for Blackwater in the PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup.

That was how things unfolded as the slumping Bossing pushed defending champion TNT to the limit before the Tropang 5G escaped with a 99–94 win on Tuesday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.

For Aquino, it was a game where Blackwater ultimately fell just short but one he hopes is a step toward becoming a winning team.

"Ang hirap mag-coach sa PBA. It’s so hard, I mean [there’s] a lot more adjustments to make. I know, we felt short but I think may little changes," Aquino told reporters as he wrapped up his first game as the successor of Jeff Cariaso.

"So we’re trying to get back and I think they’re getting it. Hopefully, they get used to it—all the shouting that I’ve been doing. Hopefully we’ll do more next time."

Blackwater appeared to be at the mercy of TNT until early in the fourth quarter, when the former NBA player broke free from two defenders and finished a one-handed slam to give the Tropang 5G an 89–76 lead with 4:29 remaining.

Blackwater, however, refused to fold.

Led by its previous two top picks, Sedrick Barefield and Dalph Panopio, the Bossing unloaded a massive 18-6 blast that pulled them to within one point, 94-95, with 44 seconds left.

Barefield had two chances to win it from the four-point range but missed both attempts, with Bol closely guarding him on each shot.

Although they eventually lost the thriller, Aquino stressed that the game reflected how he and management want to run Blackwater moving forward, including emphasis on maximizing their top draft picks.

"That’s part of the plan, not just a marching order from boss Dioceldo (Sy). It’s about time that we use all the top picks that we have and expose them to what we need, what the team needs," Aquino added.

"I think that we will be always on that line na we’re gonna make sure that everybody will have the playing time."

Aquino acknowledged that not all players are expected to fully buy into his system right away, but he said he is eager to transform Blackwater into winners, just as he did in his previous coaching stints.

He is also the architect behind National University's dominance in the UAAP women's basketball, leading the the Lady Bulldogs to six titles in a row from 2014 to 2019.

Aquino was also the man behind the rise of Gilas Pilipinas Women in the international scene. He led them to the country’s first SEA Games gold medal in 2019, and went on to repeat the feat in 2022 and 2025.

He also steered Gilas to its breakthrough win at the world level when they beat Colombia in the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers last March before he was let go later in the same month. 

"I don’t know if I’m gonna change but the thing is I just need them to know how I feel about the game and as I’ve told them before, I’m gonna work and you’re gonna work and I’m a winner," he said.

"We should be winners."

—JKC, GMA News