Happy Birthday, Derick Pumaren ( Feb 26 )

Newly-appointed Pepsi Cola head coach Derick HOOP NOTES Pumaren is shopping around for a job in the Philippine Basketball League (PBL). Pumaren, 30, has given up his post at Magnolia, the club he led to eight PABL titles since 1985. Pepsi management is allowing Pumaren to continue coaching La Salle in the collegiate ranks and an amateur club on condition it is neither Magnolia nor a team sponsored by a competitor. The qualification strikes out Sarsi from Pumaren's list. Last Monday, Pumaren inked a two-year pact to replace Ed Ocampo at the Pepsi helm. He started practicing the Hotshots two days later. Pepsi manager Steve Watson negotiated the deal with Pumaren who played guard for the 1982 Asian Youth championship team and the national squad that took ninth place at the 1983 Asian Basketball Confederation (ABC) tournament in Hongkong. Pumaren went to the 1983 ABC joust as Ron Jacobs' scout but was forced to suit up when the governing body declared Jeff Moore and Dennis Still ineligible. Jacobs tapped Pumaren to fill in the slot vacated by Moore. There were reports that San Miguel management desperately attempted to keep Pumaren by promising to elevate him to head coach starting the third conference and kicking Black upstairs to replace Jun Gregorio as team manager. Gregorio, a San Miguel assistant vice president, would be reassigned to a Head Office job. Pumaren refused to comment on the reports and only said, "I'm leaving San Miguel with a heavy heart...I'll always be grateful for the breaks the company gave me." With Pumaren gone, it appears likely his father Filomeno would take over as San Miguel assistant coach to backstop Black. Pumaren said ex-La Salle forward Gabby Velasco would be his assistant at Pepsi.