Topex Robinson has had quite the coaching career. Yet, he's never won the big one.
From San Sebastian College-Recoletos to Lyceum of the Philippines University and all the way to Phoenix Super LPG, the young coach has turned afterthoughts to contenders. Again and again, however, he was met by a hump he couldn't get over.
Still, here he is, the new coach of a De La Salle University program that has the highest of expectations and winningest of traditions.
The 48-year-old is just two weeks into taking over the Green Archers, and he's already feeling that burden on his shoulders.
"Ayoko nang lokohin yung sarili ko. What's expected of me here is to win a championship," he said as he was about to gather his new players for practice. "Kumbaga, hindi uso rito yung rebuilding o one game at a time. Pero kahit saan naman, there's pressure. Not saying it's gonna be easy, but I know what I signed up for."
The Green and White is a proud program that boasts nine titles. In the last four seasons, however, they have made the Final Four only once. Even more, their last finals appearance was in 2017.
That, simply put, is unacceptable for a school and squad that sees itself as a worthy rival to the likes of Ateneo and UP -- the league's last two champions.
Robinson isn't shying away -- much like how he played as a bulldog of a defensive guard throughout his 12-year PBA career. Fearless, but not careless.
"Pagkatapos ng coaching career ko, I want na, at least, I could tell myself na I overachieved, na wala akong regret. Nakapag-coach na ako sa NCAA, sa PBA, so siguro naman, it's my time to try the UAAP," he said. "And this is a program that could set you apart from the rest if you make it successful."
While another trophy for Taft Avenue is the target and a crowning achievement for an already-remarkable time as tactician, Robinson is also making it clear that it's far from the end-all, be-all.
"Winning a championship is one thing, pero another aspect is building a winning program. It's not just one season. It's also how you mold your players into finished products," he detailed. "It's about winning a championship, while also guiding better men."
Robinson may not have something to say about winning a championship just yet, but he knows a thing or two about constructing a consistent contender. His San Sebastian sides were championship hopefuls. He then took over an LPU crew that had long been mired at the bottom of the standings before steering the Pirates to the NCAA's first-ever 18-0 sweep of the eliminations. After that, he kept the thought-to-be-rebuilding Phoenix team competitive.
He's yet to break through, but he and his teams are often right there. And now he's led La Salle's management into believing in him, he hopes to do the same with a lineup that still features Mike Phillips, Evan Nelle, and CJ Austria.
The first step in getting the Green Archers to believe in him as well as each other, funnily enough, is making them see that the world extends way beyond the court and life is infinitely more beautiful than just basketball.
"Right now, we're trying to build something aligned with what La Salle is all about. We're talking about faith, service, communion. Yes, there's the basketball aspect, but there's also the responsibility na hindi lang 'to about basketball," he explained. "I'm here to serve La Salle's vision. I'm not going here to have my own thing, so I'm doing all I can to help with that vision."
If before, Robinson made sure his Pirates made an impact not only on-court, but also during classes and in their community through their "Love. Serve. Care." philosophy, he's now urging his La Salle players to live up to the school's virtues.
"I wanna make sure na alam ng mga bata how blessed they are to be in the program. Not just talking about basketball, but focusing on what's gonna happen to them 'pag tapos na sila sa basketball," he stated. "Dun mo malalaman kung anong ginawa ng mga player nung nasa school sila e. Did they take advantage of their education? Did they take advantage of all the opportunities that were there?"
So far, so good, as he's felt a warm reception to his coaching philosophy. And he has evidence to prove it. Videos he posts on Instagram documenting the practices they've had and what he's been teaching his new players.
The proof that matters most to Robinson, however, actually happens far away from cameras and content creation.
"It's good to get a warm reception, but most important for me is they're slowly opening up about basketball, but also about life. Yun yung bigger takeaway for me e, yung kung nagse-share na sila tungkol sa buhay," he narrated. "That's why I find more fulfillment in coaching in college. I'm not saying ayoko mag-coach sa PBA, but college is all about developing character. And mas masaya ako 'pag nakikita ko na yung young player becoming a finished product."
Topex Robinson is facing the tallest task in his coaching career. At the same time, though, just beyond, he can already glimpse what may be his greatest accomplishment.