Luigi Trillo

Luigi Trillo

Meralco Bolts
Position	Head coach
League	PBA
Personal information
Born	(1975-07-13) July 13, 1975 (age 48) Manila, Philippines
Nationality	Filipino
Career information
College	De La Salle University
Coaching career	1997–present
Career history
As coach:
1999–2004	Adamson Soaring Falcons
1999	Cebu Gems (assistant)
2000–2011	Alaska Aces (assistant)
2006–2012	Cebuana Lhuillier Gems (PBL)/(PBA D-League)
2007	Philippines (men's 3x3)
2011–2014	Alaska Aces
2014–2023	Meralco Bolts (assistant)
2023–present	Meralco Bolts
Career highlights and awards
As head coach: PBA champion (2013 Commissioner's) PBA Baby Dalupan Coach of the Year (2012–13) As assistant coach: 4× PBA champion (2000 All-Filipino, 2003 Invitational, 2007 Fiesta, 2010 Fiesta)

Luis Antonio Crisostomo Trillo, (born July 13, 1975) better known as Luigi Trillo is the head coach of Meralco Bolts in the Philippine Basketball Association.

He was the former head coach of the Alaska Aces, ^{[1] [2]} and Cebuana Lhuillier Gems in the PBA D-League.

Coaching career

Early years

After suiting up for La Salle from 1993 to 1997, ^[3] Trillo did not play professionally. He first got the offer to coach for a private school for boys called Southridge in 1997. ^[4]

After Southridge, he became a co-coach with Jorge Gallent in the junior Philippine Basketball League. He then got an offer as an assistant coach for the Cebu Gems in the now-defunct Metropolitan Basketball Association, where he went straight to the finals in his first year. ^[4]

Adamson

In 1999, he joined the Adamson Falcons and, at 23 years old, became the youngest head coach in the UAAP at the time. His inexperience showed as the Soaring Falcons did not win a game in his first two seasons with the team at 0-28. ^[5] Those first two years were really trying times for me because, remember, you're inheriting a team that's in last place and then we had to recruit,", he said as he explained the early parts of his 4 and a half years with Adamson. ^[4]

His hard work resulted in a UniGames title for Adamson. Although his time with Adamson wasn’t the brightest of years, it still remains just as significant to him because it made him “realize how tough coaching was.”

Alaska (Cone's assistant)

While at Adamson, he was also offered by coach Tim Cone, who was then his neighbor, to be his assistant coach At Alaska, which he accepted. He juggled learning about coaching through the UAAP and with the Alaska franchise. He helped his team to steer 4 championships for the team.

Cebuana Lhullier

After his stint with Adamson, he became head coach of the Cebuana Lhuillier Gems of the PBL in 2006, ^[6] and of the PBA D-League in 2011.

Alaska

In 2012, he left Cebuana and took over the coaching duties of Alaska, replacing Joel Banal. ^[7] The Elasto Painters spoiled his debut in a score of 107–100 but the Aces recovered and won 104–84 on their game vs. Barako Bull Energy. ^{[8] [9]}

During the 2012–13 season (Trillo's first full season), he quite made an impression around the league by battling the eventual champions Talk N' Text Tropang Texters to six games during the 2012–13 PBA Philippine Cup semis. In the 2013 PBA Commissioner's Cup, he helped the Aces win its 14th championship in franchise history, the first in the post-Tim Cone era. His team also came within a game of ousting the eventual champion San Mig Coffee Mixers in the quarterfinals of the 2013 PBA Governors Cup. Because of his achievements, he was awarded as the 2012–13 PBA Coach of the Year by the PBA Press Corps. ^[10]

Meralco

Norman Black's assistant

Two games into the 2014 PBA Governors' Cup, he stepped down as head coach of Alaska. After taking a sabbatical, he took the job as an in-game analyst for Sports5, and eventually returned to coaching, this time as assistant to Norman Black at Meralco. ^[11]

In July 6, 2022, he was appointed as interim coach while Norman Black was taking a leave. Trillo guided the team into a win against Rain or Shine. ^[12] In July 31, 2022, he led the Bolts to defeat Barangay Ginebra in Game 3 of the best of three quarterfinals series. This is the first time that the team defeated Ginebra in a playoff series. ^[13] He coached the team until August 3, 2022, when Black returned from overseas. ^[14]

As head coach

In May 8, 2023, he was appointed as head coach while Norman Black was relegated as the team's consultant.

Coaching record

Collegiate record

Season	W	L	PCT	Finish	PG	PW	PL	PCT	Results
Adamson Soaring Falcons (UAAP)
2000	0	14	.000	8th	–	–	–	–	Eliminated
2001	0	14	.000	8th	–	–	–	–	Eliminated
2002	3	11	.214	7th	–	–	–	–	Eliminated
2003	5	9	.429	5th	–	–	–	–	Eliminated
2004	5	9	.429	6th	–	–	–	–	Eliminated
Totals	13	57	.185		0	0	0	.000	0 championship

PBA record

Team	Season	Conference	G	W	L	PCT	Finish	PG	PW	PL	P-PCT	Result
Alaska	2011–12	Governors' Cup	9	2	7	.222	9th	—	—	—	—	Missed Playoffs
Alaska	2012–13	Philippine Cup	14	8	6	.571	5th	4	2	2	.500	Lost in the Semifinals
		Commissioner's Cup	13	10	3	.786	1st	7	7	0	1.000	Won PBA Championship
		Governor's Cup	9	4	5	.444	7th	2	1	1	.500	Lost in the Quarterfinals with twice-to-win disadvantage
Alaska	2013–14	Philippine Cup	14	5	9	.357	8th	2	1	1	.500	Lost in the Quarterfinals with twice-to-win disadvantage
		Commissioner's Cup	9	6	3	.667	3rd	3	1	2	.333	Lost in the Quarterfinals
		Governor's Cup	2	1	1	.500	(resigned)	—	—	—	—	—
Meralco	2022–23	Philippine Cup	5	4	1	.800	5th	4	2	2	.500	(interim)
Career Total			75	40	35	.533	Playoff Total	22	14	8	.636	1 PBA championship

Broadcasting

Trillo served as an occasional courtside reporter on UAAP broadcast by PTV 4's Silverstar Sports. ^[15] He also served as a color commentator on PBA games after his resignation on Alaska. ^[16]

Personal life

Trillo is the son of former Alaska team manager/governor Joaqui Trillo. He is married to TV host and former courtside reporter, Ria Tanjuatco-Trillo. They have four children. ^[17]

References

1. Beltran, Nelson (August 1, 2012). "Trillo stays as Alaska coach". The Philippine Star . Retrieved 2 August 2012.
2. Lopez, Jeric (August 1, 2012). "Trillo stays on as coach of Alaska". Manila Standard Today . Retrieved 2 August 2012.
3. Payo, Jasmine (2023-01-19). "'Dream of mine': Topex Robinson named new La Salle coach". RAPPLER. Retrieved 2024-02-07.
4. "Luigi Trillo comes full circle". 23 November 2013.
5. "Remembering 0-28: Winless seasons in Adamson motivate Trillo at Alaska | InterAksyon.com | Sports5". Archived from the original on 2014-08-25. Retrieved 2014-09-20.
6. "Moneymen - About Us". www.cebuanamoneymen.com. Archived from the original on 2007-05-22.
7. "Luigi Trillo replaces Joel Banal as head coach of Alaska | InterAKTV". Archived from the original on 2013-07-01. Retrieved 2014-09-20.
8. CORNLEY IN IMPRESSIVE DEBUT AS RAIN OR SHINE THWARTS ALASKA, PBA.ph
9. ALASKA BEATS BARAKO BULL TO HAND TRILLO FIRST PBA WIN AS INTERIM HEAD COACH, PBA.ph
10. "Coach Trillo named PBA Coach of the Year – Alaska Aces Official Website". www.alaskaaces.com.ph. Archived from the original on 2014-05-17.
11. "Luigi Trillo joins Meralco Bolts as Norman Black's assistant coach".
12. "Luigi Trillo guides Meralco out of slump as stand-in for Norman Black". RAPPLER. 2022-07-06. Retrieved 2022-07-08.
13. "Meralco averts disaster, boots out Ginebra in breakthrough playoff win to reach semis". RAPPLER. 2022-07-31. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
14. Li, Matthew (2022-08-05). "Norman Black returns to Meralco". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
15. La Salle vs FEU 1998 UAAP Finals | Green Archers end years of heartbreak , retrieved 2024-02-11
16. "Luigi Trillo joins Meralco Bolts as Norman Black's assistant coach". Yahoo News. 2014-07-25. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
17. Henson, Joaquin M. (2013-06-16). "Joaqui Trillo & son Luigi: Two Aces in a winning team". PhilStar.com.