Two decades removed from one to the other, Denok Miranda stands at the forefront of another hoped-for turnaround for the FEU Tamaraws.
Missing the Final Four for the first time in nine seasons the last time around, the Tamaraws made a change by moving on from Olsen Racela to Miranda, a school legend who keyed a run of dominance that saw them winning a three-peat from 2003 to 2005.
"Ako, thankful and grateful na nabigyan ng opportunity as head coach ng alma mater ko. Gusto ko lang to give back to FEU and the community kasi sila rin ang nagbigay ng opportunity sa'kin sa paglalaro," he shared nearly a month into his appointment. "Lahat ng na-experience ko from UAAP to PBA, dahil sa kanila. Lahat yun, susuklian ko."
And from day one of being shot-caller, Miranda's message is loud and clear: FEU has to rediscover its roots. The Tamaraws have to work on taking the leap from being undesirables to undeniables.
"Ang FEU, unknown team kami e. Ever since, wala kaming recruitment, wala kaming maraming pondo, wala kaming magagaling talaga," he explained. "Mga underdog, mga overlooked. Kaya kung ano yung nandun sa lineup na namin at yung darating pa from high school, yun yung papagalingin pa namin. Yun yung culture ng FEU ever since."
Without a doubt, the 40-year-old knows what he's talking about, as he once rose from unrecruited young talent to Team B standout to collegiate star to contributor in the pro ranks.
And he also knows what he's talking about when he says there are parallels from when he first donned the green-and-gold as player to now wearing the same colors as first-time head coach.
Two decades ago, FEU was far from a contender before handing the reins to an unproven coach who prioritized work ethic above all.
"Before, 'di rin kami ganun ka-talented. Wala rin kami sa Final Four hanggang tiyinaga ni coach Koy [Banal]. Siya talaga ang nag-mold sa'kin, sa'min," he recalled, referring to his lifelong mentor who led the Tamaraws to their most recent golden era. "Four hours, five hours, every day ang ensayo namin. Pero kaya ganun katagal is more detalye, more teaching."
Then, not many expected the Tamaraws to go charging from out of nowhere all the way to the mountaintop. Then, not many realized that their lineup was actually full of future PBA players.
Miranda. Arwind Santos. Jeff Chan. Mark Isip. Nobody knew them then -- until they took the bull by the horns.
"Yung talent namin, na-develop lang talaga. Kunwari, si Arwind naman, shot-blocker lang talaga nung una," narrated the player-turned-coach. "Pero dahil sa hard work, sa tiyaga, may nangyari."
Miranda couldn't sell himself short either. Prior to shining bright for FEU, he was a high school guard who felt he couldn't even crack his then-alma mater's collegiate roster.
"Nung pa-graduate na ako ng high school sa [Colegio de San Juan de] Letran, yung team kasi nila nun sa college, powerhouse," he noted, while listing the likes of future-PBA players Kerby Raymundo, Chris Calaguio, and Jason Misolas as the then-Knights. "'Di na ako nag-tryout kasi ang lakas ng team na yun e. Buti na lang, nandun si coach Koy."
Indeed, as luck would have it, the 5-foot-11 guard's fortunes lay 15 minutes away from Intramuros -- to be exact, in Morayta, where a squad of self-proclaimed unknown players wanted it to be known they can compete.
They did that -- and much more -- with Banal, Miranda, and Santos, among others, showing the way. The unknowns became undisputed.
That's the first and foremost lesson Miranda hopes to teach his wards now he's the one holding the whiteboard and marker. Presently, FEU's top gun is L-Jay Gonzales, a speedster playmaker who saw peers such as Adamson Soaring Falcon Jerom Lastimosa, La Salle Green Archer Evan Nelle, and even UE Red Warrior Kyle Paranada zoom past him in the minds of many.
That shouldn't matter, though. Because the Tamaraws put a premium on work ethic that has no peer.
"Sinasabi namin sa players na every day, mag-improve kami. And magagawa namin yun starting sa practice," remarked their new head coach. "Kaya dapat maging excited sila sa practice namin na magiging parang kinalakihan ko. Matagal, and all about teaching."
That hard work will start and end with their mentor, who is self-aware enough to acknowledge he won't be put up there with the Tab Baldwins and Goldwin Monteverdes of the world... just yet.
Still, he can -- and will -- do anything and everything in his power to make sure he and his team are well-prepared.
"Sabi nga ni coach Koy sa'kin, 'Wala kang ibang magagawa dyan kundi yung ginawa natin before: i-outwork ang kalaban,'" he exclaimed. "Hindi ako pwedeng hindi magtrabaho kasi grabe yung coaches, grabe ang competition. Pero yung hard work, sasamahan siyempre ng game planning para makasabay kami sa magagaling na team."
FEU's hire of Miranda was far from flashy. But maybe, just maybe, what the Tamaraws need is somebody to fortify their foundations, somebody to remind them of their green-and-golden era.
Make no mistake, however, there'll be no drastic changes. What Nash Racela built -- a program that won a championship without a superstar in 2015 -- and what Olsen Racela reinforced is here to stay. The call will remain to "Be Brave."
"Yung sistema ni coach Olsen, same lang gagawin namin. Dadagdagan ko lang kung ano pang alam ko," expressed Miranda. "Magiging more of rebounding and defensive team lang kami. Wala kaming choice kundi puro sipag kasi lahat ng team, talagang talented. Kaya tatrabahuin lang namin."
Denok Miranda will add to an already-winning formula by putting in his own experiences that themselves led to championships. There's a meeting of two minds in FEU -- one in the present day, the other in the old days, and both hoping for the return of the glory days.