Ron Jacobs

Ronald Jacobs (December 27, 1942 – December 24, 2015) was an American basketball coach. Jacobs was head coach of the men's basketball team of Loyola Marymount University. After turning the program around in just one season, he was invited by Filipino businessman Danding Cojuangco to coach the Philippines men's national basketball team. Jacobs brought the Philippines back to prominence in basketball during the 1980s. He revolutionized the way basketball was played in the Philippines. He raised the level of technology in playing the game and turned every contest into a learning experience by showing how to win with science, hard work, team play and discipline.

Career Loyola Marymount Jacobs was named West Coast Conference Coach of the Year for piloting the Loyola Marymount's basketball varsity to the NCAA Tournament in 1980. He had turned the program around in just a season from a lowly 5-21 pushover to a legitimate contender.

Jacobs became an overnight hero at the Loyola Marymount campus in Los Angeles and there emerged a popular clamor for him to take over as athletic director. This did not sit well with some in the school's Board of Trustees. Jacobs eventually left the university, exasperated by the politics that smeared his name.

Philippines

As Jacobs reassessed his future, an invitation to visit Manila fell on his lap. Ambassador Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco, Jr. was appointed project director for basketball by Ferdinand Marcos. Having effectively sidelined then FIBA and BAP President Gonzalo "Lito" Puyat, Cojuangco sent BAP secretary-general Honesto Mayoralgo to the US to look for an American coach who could reinvigorate the sport in the Philippines. Mayoralgo was an Ateneo graduate who tapped his contacts in Jesuit schools to seek recommendations and was pointed at Jacobs' direction.

Jacobs came to the Philippines in 1980 along with another NCAA coach Ben Lindsey. Cojuangco, willing to give any amount just to get any of the two coaches, was to choose who among the two top-notch coaches he would hire to run the state of affairs of Philippine basketball. The jockeying for the position intensified so deeply that the two coaches, once good friends, eventually ended up bitter at each other. Jacobs allegedly threw negative statements behind Lindsey's back and he eventually earned Cojuangco's job for the coveted and lucrative position. Lindsey left the Philippines in a huff, fueling speculations, and Jacobs stayed behind.

Philippine men's national team (1981 to 1986)

Jacobs's first task was to improve the quality of basketball in the Philippines. After watching some Philippine Basketball Association games, he came up with the idea of naturalizing American collegiate players as Filipinos, to pass basketball technology to Filipino cagers.

Jacobs formed his first team in 1981; it had eight American players (Steve Schall, Steve Lingerfelter, Bruce Webster, Willie Polk, Eddie Joe Chavez, Jeff Moore, Dennis Still and Michael Antoine), two Filipino-Americans (Willie Pearson and Ricky Brown) and two local players (both from San Beda - JB Yango and Frankie Lim). The starting unit for that team included the 7'0 Steve Schall, the 6'8 Dennis Still, the 6'3 Jeff Moore, the 6'1 Eddie Joe Chavez and the 6'0 Ricky Brown. Steve Lingerfelter, at 6'9, was Schall's backup at the slot while Willie Pearson similarly languished at the bench. This team was sent to the 1981 William Jones Cup tournament where they beat a solid American team made up of US NCAA Division I collegiate players by more than 20 points in the finals and an average winning margin of more than 30 points against the others. The 1981 team encountered a backlash as Filipinos found it hard to accept the victory as the Americans were the ones responsible for the victory, with Yango and Lim being fielded sparingly. Jacobs eventually threw his program out of the window when Cojuangco feared the non-acceptance of the Filipinos.

Jacobs' next project was to retain the gold medal in the 1981 SEA Games. Noting the lack of competition, Jacobs decided to field former UE Red Warriors coach Pilo Pumaren instead as coach and gave him enough leeway to run the team. This 1981 team was made up mostly of MICAA and National Seniors players like Ricky Relosa, Bokyo Lauchengco, Itoy Esguerra, Ed Cordero, among others. The gold medal was won with President Marcos himself watching at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum, witnessing the near brawl from the solid kick made by Itoy Esguerra in the face of a Malaysian opponent in the finals. Buf that time, he also sometimes plays consultant to San Miguel.

Philippine men's national team (2002) In 2002, Bernardino formally appointed Jacobs to handle the national team to play in the 2002 Asian Games. Armed with a blueprint designed to earn the gold medal, Jacobs proposed having two national team selections made up of 24 of the most outstanding PBA players to go up against PBA teams with import reinforcements. While many questioned Jacobs' preference to play in the PBA (which was to revert to amateur rules during the time), no one doubted what Jacobs had in mind for he was the only one who understood what he was doing. But Jacobs suffered a near-fatal stroke, and the coaching mantle was eventually turned over to Uichico who was earlier appointed as Jacobs' chief second and scout. The fourth place standing in the Asian Games ended up as being one of the biggest disappointments in Philippine sports in year 2002.

Protégés Today, several of Jacobs disciples are coaching or occupying front office jobs in Philippine basketball: Binky Favis - former assistant coach of Barangay Ginebra Kings and former head coach of Coca Cola Tigers. Siot Tanquincen - former University of Santo Tomas guard and Jacobs scout who won two titles as Ginebra San Miguel coach and one title with his former team, the San Miguel Beermen. Formerly served as an assistant coach for De La Salle Green Archers of the UAAP. Eric Altamirano - former head coach of the National University Bulldogs in the UAAP which he led to a championship in Season 77 in 2014. He is the former lead assistant coach of the Alaska Aces in the PBA. Allan Caidic - "The Triggerman", one of PBA's all-time three-point leaders, former assistant coach and former head coach of the Barangay Ginebra Kings. Also briefly served for De La Salle Green Archers as an assistant coach. Tonichi Yturri - former assistant coach of Adamson Soaring Falcons; former head coach of the Cebu Gems (MBA), the Benilde Blazers (NCAA) and Harbour Centre (PBL. Hector Calma - former team manager and star player of the San Miguel Beermen. Samboy Lim - "The Skywalker" former player of the San Miguel Beermen and team manager of the Barangay Ginebra Kings. Pido Jarencio - "The Fireman" champion coach of the UST Tigers in the 2006 UAAP and current head coach of NorthPort Batang Pier. Franz Pumaren - Former head coach of the De La Salle Green Archers, Adamson Soaring Falcons (UAAP) and Magnolia (PBL). Led the Green Archers to 4 straight UAAP titles. Jun Tan - head coach in the Cebu ranks and the former of the Granny Goose Tortillos (PBL). Jong Uichico - former head coach of the Talk N' Text Tropang Texters. He also led the San Miguel Beermen to six titles from 1999-2006 and Barangay Ginebra San Miguel to two titles from 2006-2008. Currently, the lead assistant of Philippines. Louie Brill - team captain of RP Youth and tournament MVP 1982. Commissioner and founder of the Fil-Am Basketball League (FABL) of Maryland. Trains Filipino American youths to compete in yearly Inter-State Basketball Tournament. Played for Ron Jacobs with NCC. Won two championships with the San Beda Red Lions 1977-78.

Coaching record PBA record

Later life and death On December 22, 2001, Jacobs suffered a stroke while driving home to his apartment in Pasig. Jacobs became bedridden, unable to speak and walk. For the remainder of his life, he continued to live in the Philippines with his wife, Menen.

Jacobs died on the evening of December 24, 2015, in Makati, three days short of his 73rd birthday from complications of the stroke he suffered 14 years prior.