MANILA — San Miguel Beer coach Leo Austria credited his players after the Beermen secured the PBA Philippine Cup championship, marking back-to-back titles in the league’s All-Filipino conference.
During the trophy presentation, Austria thanked team staff and attributed the victory to the roster. “Dahil sa kanila, nagmukha na naman akong magaling (Because of them, I look like I’m great again),” he said.
The championship gave Austria his 11th PBA title, tying him with Chot Reyes and Norman Black for the third-most coaching championships in league history. They trail Tim Cone, who has 25 titles, and Baby Dalupan, who recorded 15.
San Miguel clinched the championship with a 92-77 win in Game 6 of the Finals against TNT. Black was part of the broadcast panel during the title-clinching game.
The Beermen opened the conference with consecutive losses to NLEX and Phoenix but responded with nine straight wins to finish the elimination round on top. The team extended the streak to 10 by defeating NLEX in the quarterfinals.
Austria said the early defeats served as a wake-up call after the team grew complacent following its previous All-Filipino title. He added that the team aimed for a top-four finish and adjusted its approach entering the playoffs.
Austria and Reyes are among the coaches who have yet to complete a PBA Grand Slam. San Miguel remains in contention for a second triple crown in franchise history.
Before his tenure with San Miguel, Austria won championships in the Philippine Basketball League with Shark and Welcoat. He later coached Shell in the PBA and Adamson in the UAAP.
San Miguel’s roster includes June Mar Fajardo, Chris Ross, Marcio Lassiter, CJ Perez, Don Trollano, Jericho Cruz, and Rodney Brondial. Fajardo, a nine-time Most Valuable Player, is on track to win a 10th award.
Fajardo described Austria as one of the league’s top coaches and credited him for the team’s success.
