Final Buzzer sounds for Tatay Aric as legendary mentor passes on

Today is a shocker in the country's sporting scene stalled by the Luzon lockdown as one of greatest minds of basketball saw his untimely demise in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19).

Januario "Aric" Del Rosario passed away last night due to cardiac arrest at the age of 80, and tributes have overflown for the man who have not just revived his alma mater University of Santo Tomas (UST), but also made an indelible mark of the sport of the Filipino nation as one of the most-talked about coaches in the 90s where he was at its peak.

A former Glowing Goldie himself, Del Rosario was a mastermind in the dynasty of the now-known Growling Tigers by winning four straight UAAP championships from 1993-96, the first of those came in the supposed introduction of the Final Four format but it was rendered moot after they won all fourteen games in the regular season.

They followed that historic sweep by clinching the next three titles at the expense of La Salle, with the Green Archers only gained revenge at the turn of the century wherein they made a streak of four titles on their own.

That four-peat squad was comprised of the likes of Dennis Espino, Patrick Fran, Bal David and Rey Evangelista who have translated their glorious collegiate career into a solid stints in the PBA.

While wreaking havoc in the college scene, Del Rosario juggled his job in Espana with Alaska, being the elder deputy to the innovative Tim Cone as his winning streak kept on coming, even getting a Grand Slam in the process in 1996.

Afterwards, the lure of the hometown was just too good to refuse, as the Candaba native lead the Pampanga Dragons its lone MBA National Title in its founding year in 1998, with the team led by former PBA MVP Ato Agustin stifled Manila and Negros along the way.

With a SEA Games Gold in 2003, Del Rosario was still on the court by being the NCAA Commissioner for four seasons before Perpetual Help made a huge gamble by putting him on the Altas hot seat. However, he still has the Aric Magic in him after leading them to three Final Four stints in four seasons, stepping down in 2015 after Scottie Thompson's final game in college.

Even without the white board, basketball still runs on the life of Tatay Aric as he was with Ato Badolato on the commissioner's table in the FilOil Flying V Preseason Cup.

Photo by The UAAP Classics