(Writer’s note: Coach Derrick Pumaren left La Salle before the start of Season 86. Although it was a rough last season, Manong gave La Salle a lot. Our first titles and assisting in the many more that came. This is giving Manong Derrick his rightful flowers. WE MAY BE A DEMANDING FANBASE, BUT WE SURE ARE NOT UNGRATEFUL.)
It was going deep into the night, and many stories emanated from every corner. Some were chatting about business, and others, well, basketball.
The chatter came to a complete halt. It was like the high priest had entered—or the Mandaluyong police chief.
It’s the Cardinal. No! It’s the cops. WAIT. IT IS MANONG DEREK PUMAREN.
Like a good parent who had been away for a while, everyone stood up to greet their multi-titled coach. They shook hands, embraced like father and son, and smiled widely and sincerely as they disengaged.
One by one, the 1986 to 1991 Green Archers welcomed their still-youthful coach, remembered for his swaggy outfits during his last stints with UE and La Salle.
“Wait, asan yun signature loud Manong Derek outfit?” someone teased.
Then his primary floor-spreader in 1986, Wacky Garcia, answered, “He just did it for the younger players.”
OHHH! That’s a revelation—so much for the midlife crisis we all thought he was going through.
There he was, the legendary Derek Pumaren, sitting before us after raiding the buffet table. Over sips of San Mig Light, he started to share stories. He got specific about the 1985 La Salle- Ateneo rumble in the ULTRA and the seasons leading to the UAAP.
Then he stopped.
“SEVEN. I WAS LOOKING AT SEVEN STRAIGHT TITLES.”
“I never told anyone this, but I aimed to break or tie UE’s record of seven straight titles.”
Coach Derek’s family of Archers could not believe it.
“How, coach?” one brave former Green Archer asked, adding, “Did you play at that time, coach?”
Manong gave his former player a dagger look and clarified, “That was a record set from 1965 to 1971.”
The Archer knew when an arrow was about to hit—this time, it could have been an ice cube instead of an arrow.
When La Salle was on the cusp of entering the UAAP, Pumaren played these stars in the National Seniors Tournament: Franz and Dindo Pumaren, Tonichi Yturri, and Alfie Almario. He also started reloading with high school standouts like Joey Santamaria from Colegio de San Agustin and the late Rafa Dinglasan, Toby Poblador, among others.
However, the UAAP eligibility body threw out all the names on the roster and only retained his brother, Franz.
La Salle played their maiden UAAP season with a roster only good enough to beat the 10-season winless pre-SM National U and the single-star Louie Alas led Adamson Falcons. The Green Archers finished sixth every year, but as Garcia noted, “We were always in the game, only to lose in the end.”
Rookie mistakes from a jittery team pressured to overachieve.
La Salle wasn’t going to stay in UAAP’s middle-of-the-pack purgatory for long. One by one, Pumaren started assembling the pieces of a championship team. Dicky Bachmann from Colegio de San Agustin, Johnedel Cardel from JRU, Jun Limpot, and Jonas Mariano from the RP Youth squad. Gee Abanilla from De La Salle-Zobel and LSAL. Lincoln Lim and Henry Syjueco from the Tiong Lian Basketball League. And Arnel Guste from LaSalle Greenhills.
All integral parts of winning basketball with a fluid offense and smothering defense — a term he eventually called De La Salle basketball.
When asked about his legacy as an architect of dynasties and not just championships, Manong Derek smiled slightly, looked into his empty cup, and asked for a refill.
And then came something everyone didn’t know.
Aside from Noli Locsin, Dwight and Elmer Lago, Tonyboy Espinosa, and others in the pipeline, three big names were confirmed that almost knocked us out of our seats:
- – Bonel Balingit – the 300-pound, 6’9 gentle giant who was a post-up nightmare for anyone under 6’5. A Balingit-Limpot rotation at center would’ve been devastating.
- – Nelson Asaytono – the prized catch. The supposedly winning lotto ticket. A 6’3, hulking, unstoppable forward who combined high-flying ferocity with outside versatility. A future PBA scoring champion, 7-time champion, and 3-time Mythical Team selection. Pair Nelson with Santamaria and Bachmann, you would have an unstoppable frontline.
- – Nonoy Falcosantos – a 6’5 utility man, capable of doing the dirty work, passing, and hitting midrange shots. The ideal rotation player to be a defensive backstop for Santamaria and Bachmann.
All three were tailored for Pumaren’s swift-moving and fluid half-court offense and those who can be a defensive pest.
So, what went wrong?
“Bonel and Nonoy were already attending classes, but their schools refused to release their credentials,” Pumaren shared.
And Asaytono? “Well, admissions had other opinions,” he said with a chuckle.
Even in 1986, Pumaren set his sights on dynasties—not just titles. And as La Salle steadily escalated from a middling team to title contenders, the Green Archers had to swallow the vital bitter pill necessary for future success: the 1988 championship series loss to Ateneo.
“That loss was a turning point. It made us a team, a very strong team. Everybody wanted to get back the next year to win it all”.
Hungrier than ever, Jun Limpot and his Archers returned from the ashes and won the 1989 season. With Dwight Lago and Adi Papa in the fold, almost swept the 1990 season. After two confidence-boosting championships, La Salle sealed their grand slam, winning the third jewel in 1991.
And the championship run was just beginning.
So, amidst all the success, why did he leave La Salle?
“I didn’t want to leave La Salle, but the PBA made the Pumaren Rule, prohibiting pro coaches from coaching in the UAAP. That rule was just for me.”
They made a rule just to force him to choose.
Still, after leaving La Salle, Coach Derek was never truly gone. When Coach Franz delivered the four-peat from 1998 to 2001, Manong Derek was always there, offering sideline advice or even taking over huddles.
Before the pandemic in 2020, he made his big return to La Salle. Ceremoniously reappointed as head coach, Pumaren immediately went into build build build mode. He brought in Evan Nelle and Mark Nonoy, recruited Kevin Quiambao and the Phillips brothers (Motor Mike and Ben), and even tried for eventual UP FSA and UAAP MVP Malik Diouf.
“We were supposed to get Malik since he was my player in CEU,” Pumaren revealed. “Coach Jermayne Byrd was not sold on another foreign student-athlete, and La Salle had one then. Malik ended up at UP and won an MVP.” Diouf even practiced with La Salle and, according to Manong, “erased every shot at the paint.”
“For Gerry Abadiano, we held back because we didn’t want to offend Hans Sy.”
“Sana tayo na nag-champion nun, hindi UP.”
In 2021, La Salle nearly toppled UP. Pumaren’s Archers forced a Game 2 after beating UP decisively in Game 1 of the semis. His Archers led by double digits in the second half, only to collapse in the final minutes.
“The shots didn’t fall, and we lost composure,” Pumaren admitted.
The following season ended in heartbreak even after winning the PBA Aspirants Cup — the Schonny Winston second round drama that eventually led to Jerome Lastimosa’s Adamson Falcons knocking the greens out for the last Final Four spot.
After those letdowns, the alumni started to question. Critics said he was “old school” and had lost the locker room. His old Archers adamantly defended him by saying, “It was too short of a time to make a decision.”
But the undeniable truth? The team that eventually won the UAAP crown last year was largely Pumaren’s recruits. They came to La Salle because Derek Pumaren was a damn good recruiter who knows how to assemble a dynasty team.
Manong Derek’s tough love may not have resonated with Gen Z, but it instilled discipline and resilience. His legacy remains undeniable. You don’t have to look far. That same discipline that is ingrained in these once-juvenile carefree jocks has made them successful in their respective fields and businesses.
That is why there is so much respect and love between these Green Archers and their stylish coach.
His former hardcourt aces like Wacky Garcia, who is now coaching Brent, still talked to him for coaching advice, and Cardel, whose career is at a crossroads, sat down with Pumaren, still asking for guidance after all these years.
It was still that Pumaren wisdom that remained relevant and one that they unconditionally trusted.
But beyond these, he taught the kids to take things seriously, fight harder to overcome adversity, and take these tough times as a challenge to improve. And most importantly, to live lives designed not just to win games and championships but dynasties.
Thank you, Manong Derek, for everything.
Animo!