Leo Austria: What Happened To The Basketball Coach?

what happened to leo austria

Leovino R. Austria, better known as Leo Austria, is a retired Filipino professional basketball player and coach. He has had a successful career, winning the 1985 PBA Rookie of the Year award and later becoming head coach of several teams in the Philippine Basketball Association and the Philippine Basketball League. He has faced criticism as coach of the San Miguel Beermen, but has also been praised for his historic success with the team. Austria has also been recognised with the Quezon Medalya ng Karangalan Award for Sports in 1988 and 1998.

Characteristics Values
Full Name Leovino R. Austria
Date of Birth March 14, 1958
Place of Birth Sariaya, Quezon
Occupation Retired Filipino professional basketball player and coach
Awards 1985 PBA Rookie of the Year, 1988 Quezon Medalya ng Karangalan Award for Sports, 2013 ABL Coach of the Year
Teams Played For Lyceum of the Philippines University, Formula Shell, Pepsi
Teams Coached Chowking, Shark Energy Drink, Welcoat/Rain or Shine, Welcoat Dragons, Shell Turbo Chargers, Adamson Falcons, San Miguel Beermen
Family Wife: Nanette, Children: Bacon (basketball player) and 2 others

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Leo Austria's career as a basketball player and coach

Leovino R. Austria, better known as Leo Austria, is a retired Filipino professional basketball player and coach. Austria was born in Sariaya, Quezon, on March 14, 1958, and played college basketball for the Lyceum of the Philippines University. In 1984, he was named the Most Valuable Player of the Ambassador's Cup before joining the PBA.

In 1985, Austria was drafted by the new team Formula Shell, alongside fellow PABL standout Sonny Cabatu. That same year, he was named the PBA Rookie of the Year, averaging 3.9 points per game—the lowest average for a Rookie of the Year awardee at the time. During his time with Shell, Austria played backup point guard for Bernie Fabiosa, Al Solis, and Ronnie Magsanoc. He later played for Pepsi and left the league after the 1993 season. In 394 games played, he averaged 4.5 points per game and was known for his three-point shooting.

Austria's coaching career began in the late 1990s with Chowking, where he also played a few games as a playing coach in 1999 due to injuries to their point guards. With Chowking, he made it to several semifinal appearances but was unable to reach the finals. In 2000, Chowking was renamed Shark Energy Drink, and Austria led the team to two titles in four finals matches against Welcoat from 2000 to 2002. In late 2002, he moved to Welcoat Paints as its new head coach and led them to a runner-up finish in 2003.

In 2004, Austria returned to Shell as head coach of the Turbo Chargers. During his only season with the team, he coached them to two semifinal appearances and a third-place finish in the 2005 PBA Fiesta Conference. After Shell disbanded, Austria returned to the amateur ranks and became the head coach of the Adamson Falcons in 2006, leading them to their first-ever Final Four appearance.

In 2006, Welcoat bought the Shell franchise and Austria was renamed head coach of the Welbest franchise, carrying the banner of Rain or Shine Elasto Painters. He resigned from this position in 2008, citing management's desire for a new direction. Austria then coached the San Miguel Beermen in the ABL, winning the championship and being awarded Coach of the Year in 2013. He renewed his ties with San Miguel in 2014, signing a one-year deal to be their head coach. During his time with San Miguel, Austria steered the team to eight titles in five seasons, including five straight Philippine Cup championships.

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Austria's time with the Shell Turbo Chargers

Leo Austria, born Leovino R. Austria, is a retired Filipino professional basketball player and coach. In 2004, Austria was named the head coach of the Shell Turbo Chargers in the Philippine Basketball Association, marking a return to the team with whom he started his PBA career 19 years earlier.

During his sole season with the Turbo Chargers, Austria led a young but talented team that included Tony dela Cruz, Ronald Tubid, Rich Alvarez, Billy Mamaril, and Roger Yap. Under Austria's guidance, the team achieved two semifinal appearances and a third-place finish in the 2005 PBA Fiesta Conference. However, despite their success, the Shell franchise disbanded after the 2004-2005 season, bringing Austria's tenure with the Turbo Chargers to an end.

Austria's coaching career began in the late 1990s with Chowking, where he also played for a few games in 1999 due to injuries to the team's point guards. He consistently led Chowking to the semifinals, although they fell short of reaching the finals. In 2000, Chowking was renamed Shark Energy Drink, and Austria continued his winning ways by guiding the team to two titles in four finals matches against Welcoat from 2000 to 2002.

After his stint with the Turbo Chargers, Austria returned to coaching amateur teams. In 2006, he was appointed head coach of the Adamson Falcons, leading them to their first-ever Final Four appearance. Despite their eventual elimination in the semifinals, Austria's impact on the team was significant.

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Success as coach of the San Miguel Beermen

Leo Austria has enjoyed a successful coaching career with the San Miguel Beermen, winning eight titles in his first five seasons as coach. This included a historic five straight Philippine Cup championships and two shots at a rare Grand Slam.

Austria was awarded Coach of the Year in 2013 and helped the team win the championship that same year. He renewed his contract with the San Miguel franchise in 2014, signing a one-year deal to be the head coach of the Beermen.

Austria's success with the San Miguel Beermen is historic, yet he is never regarded as an elite coach. He has been described as lucky, benefiting from a talented crew of players, including June Mar Fajardo, who was entering his third year as a pro and coming off his first MVP season when Austria took over in 2014.

Austria has also faced criticism from fans calling for his replacement as SMB coach, particularly after the Beermen underperformed in recent conferences. However, he has proven his worth as a coach, deflecting credit to the Beermen juggernaut and the management team.

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Dealing with criticism as SMB coach

Leo Austria, a retired Filipino basketball player, has had a successful coaching career, including a historic five straight Philippine Cup championships with the SMB. However, despite his achievements, he has faced criticism and doubts about his abilities as a coach.

Dealing with criticism as an SMB coach:

As a coach, it is essential to focus on the task at hand and not get distracted by outside noise, especially on social media, where anyone can be a critic. Austria dealt with criticism by tuning out the negative comments and keeping his eyes on the prize. He understood that his job was secure as he had the confidence of the management and the team owner, Ramon S. Ang. By deflecting the credit to the team and the management, he also proved his worth as a coach and earned the respect of the competition.

Additionally, having a talented crew can bring out the best in a team. Austria focused on utilising the talent of his players to benefit the team, and this strategy paid off as they dominated the opposition. He also recognised the importance of character-building experiences. Despite a sour departure from San Marcelino, he viewed it as a challenge and an opportunity to improve, which eventually brought out the best in him.

Austria's ability to stay focused, deflect criticism, and bring out the best in his players contributed to his success as an SMB coach. It is important for coaches to maintain confidence in their abilities, stay true to their strategies, and not be deterred by outside noise. While it is essential to listen to constructive criticism, ultimately, the voice that matters most is that of the management and team owner, who have the power to make changes.

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Austria's personal life and family

Leovino R. Austria, better known as Leo Austria, is a retired Filipino basketball player and coach. He was born in Sariaya, Quezon, on March 14, 1958, and played college basketball for the Lyceum of the Philippines University. Austria was named the Most Valuable Player of the Ambassador's Cup in 1984 before joining the PBA.

Personal Life and Family

Austria is married to Nanette, and the couple has three children, including Bacon, who is a basketball player. In fact, Leo and Bacon have faced each other in the UAAP, with Leo coaching Adamson and Bacon playing for Ateneo. In 2018, Nanette underwent a kidney transplant on the afternoon Leo won the PBA Philippine Cup.

Austria began his coaching career in the late 1990s with Chowking, leading the team to several semifinal appearances. He then moved on to coach various other teams, including Shark Energy Drink, Welcoat/Welbest franchise, and the Adamson Falcons. He has achieved notable successes, such as leading the San Miguel Beermen to an ABL championship in 2013, for which he was also named Coach of the Year.

In addition to his coaching accomplishments, Austria has been recognised with awards like the Quezon Medalya ng Karangalan Award for Sports in 1988 and 1998.

Frequently asked questions

Leo Austria is currently the head coach of the Adamson Falcons. He has also been the coach of the San Miguel Beermen in the ABL, where he was awarded Coach of the Year in 2013.

Leo Austria is a retired Filipino professional basketball player. He played for the Lyceum of the Philippines University during college and joined the PBA in 1985. He was named Rookie of the Year in his first season.

Leo Austria focuses on bringing out the best in his players. He has said that he "uses the talent [of his players] to the team's benefit". He also tunes out noise and criticism to keep his eyes on the prize.

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