I MAY have no way of knowing it, but San Beda juniors coach Edmundo “Ato” Badolato could be the longest-serving juniors coach for the Red Cubs and perhaps in Philippine basketball.

And just recently, he won his 16th National Collegiate Athletic Association juniors crown with the team to cap a 37-year tenure. This is significant because the Red Cubs won 17 titles in all, 16 under Badolato ever since he took over in the early 1970s.

The 16 titles came in the schoolyears of 1974-75, 1978-79, 1981-82, 1982-83, 1987-88, 1988-89, 1990-91, 1991-92, 1992-93, 1995-96, 1996-97, 1999-2000, 2002-2003, 2003-2004, 2004-2005 and 2009-2010.

Coach Ato capped his career on a winning note and most of us were there to witness it recently, when the Red Cubs beat Letran, 86-75, for the title.

I’m sure that our beloved coach has bittersweet feelings about the victory, as he will concentrate on his chores as San Beda athletic director afterward.

Players Arthur de la Cruz and Baser Amer came through with exceptional games to secure the Red Cubs’ 17th championship. Before this, the team went into some sort of hibernation when it won its last title four years ago.

But titles would not justify his tenure alone. It is how the San Beda Red Cubs’ ranks produced some of the prominent basketball players in the country today.

If a player in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines or the Philippine Basketball Association suited up for the Red Cubs, most likely he came under Badolato’s tutelage. Name the player and most likely, Badolato was partly to credit for the mold.

San Beda High School has an exceptional recruitment program that it drew the best players from the provinces and molded them with a high-profile basketball career in mind.

I remember Coach Ato stressing on the basics, the fundamentals of basketball when I, along with guys like Benjie Paras, Ronnie Magsanoc and Dindo Pumaren were on the Red Cubs team in the early ’80s.

And even before us and after, there’s a long line of San Beda Red Cubs alumni who are doing well in their respective fields, basketball-related or otherwise.

There are guys like Renren Ritualo, Gerry Esplana, Jolly Escobar, Ato Morano Ralph Rivera, Xavy Nunag, Ricky Calimag, Arjun Cordero, Jayvee Casio, Chris Calaguio, Jenkins Mesina, Mike Bravo, LA Tenorio, Magnum Membrere, Nicolas Salva, Ronald Magtulis, Dexter Racho, Tyrone Bautista and Toti Almeda, among others.

So it was really fitting for us to cheer Coach Ato as he caps his career as coach. But knowing that basketball is already second nature to him, he will always be around.

His former players would always take the opportunity to seek his counsel on basketball matters. During the formation of the Nokia RP U-16 juniors team, I have sought his opinion on how a formidable team could be put up despite the limited ceiling that we have in the 16-and-under bracket.

He may have never wielded his coaching magic in the PBA, but he will always be the coaches’ coach and players’ coach for all of us.