Norman Black

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Norman Augustus Black (born November 12, 1957 in Baltimore, Maryland) is an American basketball head coach for the Ateneo Blue Eagles in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines. Prior to coaching in the collegiate leagues, Black was known as one of the best imports in Philippine Basketball Association before concentrating on coaching the San Miguel Beermen to numerous championships.

Contents 1 Career 1.1 College, NBA and CBA career 1.2 PBA career 1.3 Coaching career 1.4 TV commentator 1.5 Ateneo Blue Eagles head coach 2 External links

[edit] Career

[edit] College, NBA and CBA career

Black played for Saint Joseph's College in Pennsylvania from 1975-1979, averaging 17 points per game in his playing career. [1] Black later played in Continental Basketball Association from 1978-1982 for the Lancaster Red Roses and the Philadelphia Kings. [2] He also played for the Detroit Pistons in the National Basketball Association, but played only three games in the 1980-81 NBA season, averaging 2.7 points per game. [3]

[edit] PBA career

In 1981, Black made his PBA debut for Tefilin. In 14 games, Black averaged an outstanding 51 point per game average, but he failed to lead his team to a championship. Black returned to the Philippines in 1982, playing 66 games for San Miguel Beer and averaged close to 43 points per contest. With Black, locals Yoyong Martirez, Manny Paner, Marte Saldana and head coach Tommy Manotoc, San Miguel won the 1982 Invitational tournament against guest South Korea. In 1983, Black played for Great Taste Coffee and averaged 38 points in 49 games played.

Two years later, Black returned to play for Magnolia Quench Plus, norming 43.5 points per game, while scoring his career best 76 points. After Magnolia (later San Miguel Beer), left the league for a while, he played for rookie squad Alaska, after former Magnolia players were put the new franchise. After a short while, Black returned to San Miguel as their playing coach in some import laiden conferences while acting as a full time coach in the All-Filipino Conferences. In 1989, he played and coached the Beermen to a rare grandslam, the third in PBA history. In 1990, Black played his last complete season as a player before finally focusing his duties as head coach in 1991.

[edit] Coaching career

Black's coaching career started around 1986 and 1987, as a playing coach. But by 1991, he became San Miguel's full-time coach until 1996, when Black left the Beermen. He won nine championships as head coach of San Miguel, coaching some of the best players in PBA history such as superstars Samboy Lim, Hector Calma, Ramon Fernandez, Ato Agustin and role players Alvin Teng, Yves Dignadice, Art Dela Cruz and Dong Polistico. In 1994, he was named head coach of the Philippine Team in the Hiroshima Asian Games, after the Beermen won the All-Filipino Cup. However, the country went home without a medal in basketball, after placing fourth. In 1996, with San Miguel needing an import, Black played as a temporary import for the Beermen and scored 15 points.

After almost a decade with San Miguel, Black became the head coach of the young Mobiline Phone Pals in 1997. But after the Commissioners Cup, Black became the coach of the struggling Pop Cola squad. He led the 800's to two third place finishes with Vergel Meneses, Bonel Balingit and Kenneth Duremdes on the team. Black also suited up for Pop Cola, probably his last PBA game, in a third place game against Shell. He scored 10 points, including a three-pointer, that gave the 800's its second consecutive third place run. In 1999, Pop Cola struggled all through, including a terrible 0-8 finish in the Governors Cup. Black left Pop Cola after the season before hired as Sta Lucia head coach.

In 2000, Black led Sta Lucia to its first finals appearance, losing to San Miguel in five games of the Commissioners Cup. However, a year later, Black coached the Realtors to its first championship, defeating the Beermen in the season ending Governors Cup. After the 2002 season, Black resigned as head coach of the Realtors with long time assistant, and friend Alfrancis Chua elevated as the new coach.

[edit] TV commentator

During his coaching days, Black was even hired by PBA TV coverors as guest analysts of selected games. After leaving Sta Lucia in 2003, Black was hired by new TV network National Broadcasting Network as its analysts for PBA games. Black normally was paired with Mico Halili and did quite well as commentator, often mixing a Tagalog word to his English analysis.

After NBN was dropped as TV coveror, Black was absorbed by new TV network Associated Broadcasting Company, and has remained with the coverage ever since. Black normally pairs with Halili, Ed Picson and Paolo Trillo.

He also did several shoots about basketball basics in a segment called as Burlington Basketball 101 for ABC's pregame show known as PBA Gamebol. Outside of commentary, Black is known as an endorser for Burlington, a known sock product.

[edit] Ateneo Blue Eagles head coach

In 2004, Black was hired by the Ateneo Blue Eagles as its team consultant. But after a disappointing 2004 season, in which the Blue Eagles finished third under Sandy Arespacochaga, school officials hired Black as its new head coach for the 2005 campaign.

Black led the Blue Eagles to a 10-4 win-loss record in his first season, but was eliminated by the La Salle Green Archers, who had a twice to beat advantage against their bitter rivals.

In the 69th season, Black led the Blue Eagles to a 10-2 win-loss slate, the best record in the elimination round. After defeating the Adamson Falcons in the Final Four, Ateneo lost to the UST Growling Tigers in a grueling three game series. Black, though designed one of the best plays in UAAP history when the Blue Eagles won Game 1, 74-73 on a last second basket by Doug Kramer with a second to go. The play was a long inbound pass by Macky Escalona who found a wide-open Kramer underneath the basket for the victory.

[edit] External links

• Basketball-Reference.com: Norman Black
• Norman Black's PBA Career Highlights
• Norman Black's PBA Coaching Highlights

Preceded by Tommy Manotoc	San Miguel Beermen head coach 1987-1996	Succeeded by Ron Jacobs
Preceded by Robert Jaworski	Philippine national basketball team Asian Games head coach 1994	Succeeded by Tim Cone
Preceded by Yeng Guiao	Talk 'N Text head coach 1997	Succeeded by Derrick Pumaren
Preceded by Turo Valenzona	Pop Cola head coach 1997-99	Succeeded by Chot Reyes
Preceded by Derrick Pumaren	Sta. Lucia Realtors head coach 2000-02	Succeeded by Alfrancis Chua
Preceded by Sandy Arespacochaga	Ateneo Blue Eagles head coach 2005-06	Succeeded by Incumbent

	PBA-San Miguel Philippines - 1994 Asian Games
Marlou Aquino |   Dong Polistico |  Jerry Codiñera |  Rey Evangelista |  Alvin Teng |  Alvin Patrimonio |  Kenneth Duremdes |  Allan Caidic |  Ato Agustin |  Franz Pumaren |  Hector Calma |  Johnny Abarrientos | Coach Norman Black