New Coach, New Game: Coach Ron Joins HRS Men’s Basketball

In March, the School hired Ron Pangilinan to coach the men’s varsity basketball team. With practices already underway and games slated to start in May, Pangilinan had significantly less time to work with his team than usual. However, he is no stranger to a challenge. 

Pangilinan’s love for the game initially sprouted from “playing and having a good time through high school and [subsequently] playing intramurals at San Francisco State.” He first began coaching after a close friend, who was the head coach of the women’s team at Acalanes, offered him an assistant job. Pangilinan accepted this position and started coaching “for the love of basketball.” During Pangilinan’s tenure at Acalanes, the Dons went to three state final appearances and won the 1999 championship behind a strong freshman class. 

After five years at Acalanes, Pangilinan secured his first head coaching position for the women’s basketball team at College Park in Pleasant Hill. The ability to lead this program allowed Pangilinan “to build on culture and relationships with kids.” After another coaching stint at Las Lomas, Pangilinan decided to coach men’s basketball for the first time – at rival school Bentley. 

Pangilinan coached the Phoenix from 2012 to 2016 before leaving to become the head coach of the men’s varsity program at Northgate High School in Walnut Creek. In his first year with Northgate, the Broncos finished with a record of 7-18 but improved to an unbelievable 24-2 in his next year. After three more impressive seasons, Pangilinan “thought he was going to hang it up for a bit [to] watch his [rising] freshman son play” but then came into contact with the School’s Athletic Director, Brendan Blakeley, about the men’s varsity coaching vacancy.  

While previously reluctant to jump into another coaching position, Pangilinan saw the School as a program with “tremendous potential to build something special” and ultimately decided to become the program’s head. In his first year with the Jayhawks, Pangilinan hopes “to develop a culture that [empowers] [every] member of the program.” In years to come, Pangilinan hopes to add some banners to the walls of Chapman Pavilion.  

Aside from coaching, Pangilinan also works as a lead trainer at the Ultimate Fieldhouse in Walnut Creek. He enjoys spending time with his family off the court: an activity that frequently involves watching his children play basketball. Recently, his family gained another member, a King Charles Cavalier. Pangilinan also loves to golf but only “when [he] can find five hours [to] [spare].”  

Although his introduction to the School has been anything but normal due to the pandemic, Pangilinan has greatly appreciated the “welcomeness and excitement [from] the community,” and is already looking to give back to this community. Pangilinan “couldn’t be more excited” about what’s to come with Jayhawk basketball.