Ateneo coach Tab Baldwin resigns week after players’ deaths

MANILA, Philippines – Thomas Anthony “Tab” Baldwin resigned as head coach of the Ateneo men’s basketball team on Monday, June 15, a week after his players Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili died during a team-building activity. 

Team manager Epok Quimpo also resigned from his post, Ateneo president Fr. Roberto Yap announced during the school’s first press conference since the tragic incident.

Ateneo accepted both resignations effective immediately.

Baldwin stepped down amid calls for his termination as Baterbonia, 18, and Adili, 21, drowned under his watch during the team’s training on Monday, June 8, in a beach resort in Dipaculao, Aurora.

The American-Kiwi mentor broke his silence on the tragic incident only on Friday, June 12, apologizing in a recorded video message and saying he “failed” as a leader and a friend.

“As a coach, we are entrusted with the growth of our basketball players, the development of these young men into future professionals. But mostly, as a coach, I’m entrusted by you, the parents, and the families, with first and foremost, their well-being. And in this, I feel I failed. And I’m sorry,” said Baldwin in an eight-minute video posted by the school on its social media accounts. 

On Monday morning, Baldwin didn’t appear before the fact-finding mission of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) at Camp Crame.

Only Ateneo athletics director Em Fernandez appeared before the CIDG, which had summoned Baldwin and other team and school officials to investigate the drowning incident

Baldwin took over the celebrated basketball program in 2015 and steered the Blue Eagles to four UAAP championships, including three straight from 2017 to 2019 and another one in 2022.

The 68-year-old tactician came to the Philippines as a decorated mentor after a successful run as head coach of the New Zealand men’s national team, the Tall Blacks, for five years. Baldwin was also inducted into the New Zealand Basketball Hall of Fame in 2023.

Baldwin’s first role in the Philippines was as consultant of PBA team TNT in 2014, a post he held until 2020 before the flagship franchise of the MVP Group let him go.

It was also in 2014 when the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas appointed Baldwin as head coach of the Gilas Pilipinas. He guided the national team to a silver medal in the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship in Changsha, China, and a gold medal in the 2015 Southeast Asian Games in Singapore.

The following year, Ateneo handed the coaching reins of its men’s basketball team to Baldwin.

Aside from the four UAAP championships, Baldwin led the Blue Eagles to two runner-up finishes and a semifinal appearance, although Ateneo missed the Final Four in the last two seasons.

Baldwin was supposed to call the shots for the Blue Eagles until 2028 after he signed a three-year extension in September 2025. – Rappler.com