Fernandez returns to again coach San Beda.
San Beda College officially welcomed back Boyet Fernandez as coach of the Red Lions yesterday, a week after Jamike Jarin left the NCAA champions to accept the vacant position at National University.
Red Lions team manager Jude Roque made the announcement after chief benefactor Manny V. Pangilinan and school president Fr. Aloysius Maranan agreed to bring back the man who guided the team to championships in 2013 and 2014.
“After consulting with the school president, MVP (Pangilinan) confirmed last night (Sunday night) the appointment of Boyet Fernandez as new Red Lions head coach,” Roque said in a statement.
Roque added the decision came as a “logical choice” since Fernandez was tapped to coach Cignal in the PBA D-League Aspirants’ Cup which will be composed mostly of San Beda players.
Fernandez’s return to the Mendiola campus came after he lost his job as coach of the NLEX Road Warriors in the PBA following the stunning appointment of Yeng Guiao in the offseason.
His name immediately surfaced as the likely candidate to fill the post vacated by Jarin, who decided to leave the Red Lions after guiding them to the NCAA crown last October to coach NU in the UAAP.
While the names of former Letran mentor Louie Alas and PBA legend Jimmy Alapag were floated, sources said that the San Beda alumni preferred to have Fernandez back, especially with the success he had in his previous stint with the Red Lions.
Fernandez guided San Beda during the latter part of the team’s five-peat run, first defeating archrival Letran in a three-game series of the 2013 finals before sweeping Arellano University the following season.
He left the Red Lions after the 2014 title run to concentrate on his duties with NLEX in the PBA.