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.

[edit] Career

[edit] High School, College, NBA and CBA career

Black played high school basketball for the Cardinal Gibbons School in Baltimore, Maryland where he graduated in 1975.[1] He then played for Saint Joseph's College in Pennsylvania from 1975-1979, averaging 17 points per game in his playing career. [2] Black later played in Continental Basketball Association from 1978-1982 for the Lancaster Red Roses and the Philadelphia Kings. [3] 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. [4]

[edit] PBA career

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.^[1]

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. 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.

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

"It was former ambassador Danding Cojuangco who asked me to become a head coach in 1985," Black 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.^[2]

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 being 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. During the 2005-2006 and the 2006-2007 season, Black was seen every Sunday on the halftime segment "Black's Board" where he dished out the week's highlights around the league and Philippine basketball as well.

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, the 35th coach in it's history.

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 them.

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 battled the UST Growling Tigers in a grueling three game series. Black designed a great play in their Game 1 victory. The play was a long inbound pass by Macky Escalona who found a wide-open Kramer underneath the basket for the victory. However, despite the historic Game 1 victory, they were unable to win the championship. They lost to the Tigers in Game 2 by a large margin, and then in Game 3 in overtime.

In the 70th season, despite lackluster talent, Black led the Eagles to a 9-5 standing. However, the Blue Eagles still lost in crucial games; they were unable to secure the No. 2 Seed due to their loss to the National University Bulldogs, and lost to the returning De La Salle Green Archers in a battle for the No. 2 seed, which would have given them a twice to beat advantage had they won. Instead, they settled for the No. 3 seed, and were able to eliminate the defending champions UST Growling Tigers. The Blue Eagles then forced a do-or-die game against La Salle in the semifinals but were beaten by La Salle.

[edit] External links

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

[edit] References

v • d • e 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