Jeff Napa

Jeff Napa
Letran Knights
Position Head coach
League NCAA
Personal information
Born (1981-09-19) September 19, 1981
Nationality Filipino
Career information
College National University
Playing career 1997/1998–2005
Coaching career 2005–present
Career history
As player:
1997/1998–2002 NU Bulldogs (UAAP)
2002–2003 John-O (PBL)
2003–2004 Viva Mineral Water (PBL)
2004–2005 Fash Liquid Laundry Detergent (PBL)[1]
As coach:
2005–present NU Bulldogs (UAAP)) (as assistant)
2011–2016 NSNU Bullpups (UAAP)
2016–present Letran Knights
Career highlights and awards

Jeff Napa (born September 19, 1981)[2] is a Filipino collegiate basketball coach of the Letran Knights played in the NCAA and team consultant of the Nazareth School of National University Bullpups junior's basketball team in the UAAP.

Playing career

Napa, together with his co-teammate and now his assistant coach, Chico Manabat[3] is part of the NU Bulldogs men's basketball team that have claimed the first-ever Final Four slot in team's history during Season 64.[2] He also claims the record held by Allan Caidic for the most number of three-points made in a single UAAP game. However, the Bulldogs did not advanced in the Finals series after their loss against De La Salle Green Archers in the final four series.

After his collegiate career, Napa played for the teams John-O, Viva Mineral Water and Fash Liquid Laundry Detergent in the Philippine Basketball League.

Coaching career

In 2005, Manny Dandan, the then-head coach of NU Bulldogs invited Napa to join the team as an assistant coach and he later accepted it.[2] Napa was later appointed as Head Coach of NU Bullpups junior's basketball team where he successfully steered three championships (Season 74, 76 and 78) with the squad in the last five years.[4]

Move to Letran Knights

Napa emerged as one of the frontrunners for the coaching job of the Letran Knights, replacing NCAA Season 91 men's basketball champion coach Aldin Ayo who is now the head coach of the De La Salle Green Archers in the UAAP.[5] Right after the championship run of NSNU Bullpups on the UAAP Season 78 juniors basketball tournament, Napa openly admitted in an interview that he is in talks with the Colegio de San Juan de Letran officials about his possibility to take over the coaching duty for Letran Knights.[6] The search committee unanimously voted for Napa after a series of interviews of applicants including Napa, Mapua Cardinals assistant coach Randy Alcantara, Adamson Falcons assistant coach Mike Fermin, and Letran alumnus Elvis Tolentino.[7]

On March 8, 2016, Napa was appointed as the new head coach of Letran Knights men's basketball team in a news conference held at the Salon de Actos in the Letran's main campus in Intramuros, Manila.[8][9]

He also decided to stay in the NU Bullpups program as a team consultant.[2] Napa's deputy Manabat, who is also the husband of volleyball player Dindin Santiago-Manabat, took over as head coach of the Bullpups starting Season 79. Manabat, Jay Agleron, and Leo Pujante also joined the coaching staff of the Knights.[10]

Napa will be the second non-Letran alumni to took the coaching job of the men's basketball team, after Louie Alas, who handled the team that won three championships in NCAA men's basketball.

Coaching record

Collegiate record

SeasonTeamEliminationsPlayoffs
WLPCTFinishPGWLPCTResults
2016CSJL99.5006thDid not qualify
2017CSJL99.5005th211.500Won over Arellano in the First round, Lost to San Sebastian in the 4th-seed playoff
Totals1818.500211.5000 championships

References

  1. ↑ Villar, Joey (March 11, 2004). "Fash teems with scorers for Unity Cup". The Philippine Star. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Olivares, Rick (March 8, 2016). "New Knights coach Jeff Napa looks forward to challenge". The Philippine Star. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
  3. ↑ "NU Bulldogs in fighting form". Philippine Daily Inquirer. July 6, 2001. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
  4. ↑ Lagunzad, Jerome (March 7, 2016). "Letran set to name Jeff Napa as Knights new head coach". Fox Sports Asia. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
  5. ↑ Terrado, Reuben (February 26, 2016). "NU juniors coach Jeff Napa has inside track on Letran Knights coaching job". Spin.ph. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
  6. ↑ Terrado, Reuben (March 7, 2016). "Jeff Napa was formally named Letran Knights head coach in press conference". Spin.ph. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
  7. ↑ Riego, Norman Lee Benjamin (March 8, 2016). "Napa a unanimous choice for Letran search committee". ABS-CBN Sports. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
  8. ↑ "Letran to formally name Jeff Napa as Knights coach". The Philippine Star. March 7, 2016. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
  9. ↑ Bracher, Jane (March 8, 2016). "Jeff Napa named new Letran Knights coach". Rappler. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
  10. ↑ Li, Matthew (March 8, 2016). "Napa takes on new challenge as Letran head coach". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
Preceded by
Aldin Ayo		 Letran Knights men's basketball head coach
2016–present		 Succeeded by
Incumbent
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