Ateneo Eyes Changes as Alas, Salva Set to Take Interim Roles

Ateneo is preparing to move forward with temporary leadership changes in its men’s basketball program as the school continues to await the results of multiple investigations into the deaths of Blue Eagles players Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili in Aurora.

Sources with knowledge of the situation told ALL-STAR that veteran coach Louie Alas is set to be named interim head coach, while former Ateneo standout Nico Salva is set to be named interim team manager. The moves are expected to give the Blue Eagles a measure of stability following the resignations of head coach Tab Baldwin and team manager Epok Quimpo in the aftermath of the tragedy.

Alas brings decades of experience to the role. A longtime figure in Philippine basketball, he won three NCAA championships as head coach of Letran and also had coaching stints in the PBA, including with Phoenix Super LPG. He joined Ateneo’s staff in 2024 and is viewed as a veteran presence who can help guide a team still grieving the loss of two teammates.

Salva, meanwhile, is one of the decorated names from Ateneo’s modern basketball history. He was part of the Blue Eagles’ five straight UAAP championships from 2008 to 2012 and was named UAAP Finals MVP twice. After a professional career that included stops in the PBA and 3×3 basketball, Salva returned to Ateneo in 2024 to handle the school’s 3×3 program.

According to sources, several Fil-Am players and province-based members of the team are returning to their respective homes to clear their minds after going through rounds of the investigation. The current belief is that they will return to the program, barring a drastic development such as a UAAP suspension against the school.

Ateneo’s intention, according to the source, is to resume practices in July while the university awaits the findings of the ongoing probes. The UAAP has set a July 15 deadline for the submission of official findings related to the June 8 incident in Dipaculao, Aurora. The league has also barred Ateneo coaches who were present during the activity from participating in UAAP-related activities while investigations are ongoing.

The source added that, barring a suspension from the UAAP, the hope of the players in the program is that Ateneo will still play in Season 89.

There has also been movement regarding Adili’s repatriation. According sources, clearance was received from the Nigerian Embassy over the weekend for Divine Adili’s body to be returned to Nigeria. A handful of his teammates are expected to accompany his body to the airport, while a Jesuit priest is also set to join the trip to Nigeria.

Adili, a Nigerian foreign student-athlete, was one of Ateneo’s promising frontcourt pieces. His death, along with Baterbonia’s, has shaken the Ateneo community and prompted questions about athlete safety, team supervision, and accountability inside one of the country’s most visible collegiate basketball programs.

For now, Ateneo’s basketball future remains tied to the results of the investigations. But behind the scenes, the Blue Eagles are preparing for changes amidst turbulent times: new interim leadership, players taking time away to process what happened, and a program hoping to return to the court while still carrying the weight of a tragedy that has yet to reach full resolution.