By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
There will be a new sheriff in town for the University of Perpetual Help System DALTA tertiary basketball program.
Olsen Racela, one of the most decorated basketball icons in the PBA both as a player and as a coach, will now be calling the shots for Perpetual in the upcoming NCAA men’s basketball season.
Racela already confirmed the latest development last December 22, 2023, and will be jumping ship from the UAAP to the NCAA.
The PBA multi-champion was the head coach of the Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws from 2016-2022 and is still Barangay Ginebra San Miguel’s assistant coach.
This is the first time that Racela will be handling an NCAA college basketball program and will be looking to revamp the system to help Perpetual get to the Final Four.
Last season, Perpetual was close to booking a playoff spot during Season 99 but fell short after missed opportunities in some close losses.
After two rounds of preliminary games, Perpetual finished fifth, one place away from booking an NCAA Final Four ticket.
Racela will be replacing former head coach Myk Saguiguit who directed the traffic for Perpetual during the last three years.
As a coach, Racela already won a total of 10 PBA championships from 2013-2023 with the Petron Blazers, San Mig Coffee Mixers, and Ginebra.
Before turning into coaching, Racela was one of the top point guards in the PBA and collected nine PBA titles, six PBA All-Star team selections, and was a two-time Mythical First Team member.
