San Miguel Beermen’s Leo Austria recently made history after becoming the first head coach to take home the Coach of the Year for three straight years.
Austria bagged the award, given by the PBA Press Corps annually, despite San Miguel falling short of achieving a Grand Slam last season.
Still, he won championships in the Philippine Cup and the Commissioner’s Cup. Now an owner of five titles, Austria is certainly one of the league’s best coaches of this era.
A former PBA Rookie of the Year awardee when he was still a player, Austria deflected credit to his players.
“They’re saying, you can bring the horses to the river. But you can’t force them to drink. They’re the real winners. The players execute the plays and win games. Before last season started, they showed respect to everyone. They showed dedication and they built the winning culture,” Austria said in his speech.
“Winning the Coach of the Year award is not just an individual award, but it is a testament to the team’s success, cohesiveness and the winning culture. I will not be here without them.”
