Juno Sauler
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Marco Januz "Juno" Sauler (born March 5, 1973) is a basketball coach and former basketball player from the Philippines. He was a former head coach of the De La Salle University Green Archers, a collegiate team in the
UAAP The University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP), established in 1938, is an athletic association of eight Metro Manila universities in the Philippines. The eight-member schools are Adamson University (AdU), Ateneo de Manila Univer ...
. Sauler is currently part of coaching staff of the Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots in the
Philippine Basketball Association The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is a men's professional basketball league in the Philippines, composed of twelve company-branded Franchising, franchise teams. Founded in 1975, it is the first professional basketball league in Asia ...
(PBA) and the
University of Santo Tomas The University of Santo Tomas (UST; ), officially the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, The Catholic University of the Philippines or colloquially as ''Ustê'' (), is a Private university, private Catholic school, Catholic researc ...
Men's Basketball Team in the
University Athletic Association of the Philippines The University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP), established in 1938, is an athletic association of eight Metro Manila universities in the Philippines. The eight-member schools are Adamson University (AdU), Ateneo de Manila Univ ...
(
UAAP The University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP), established in 1938, is an athletic association of eight Metro Manila universities in the Philippines. The eight-member schools are Adamson University (AdU), Ateneo de Manila Univer ...
).


Early years and playing career

Sauler was born in
Baguio Baguio ( , , ), officially the City of Baguio (; ; ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Philippines. It is known as the "Summer Capital of the Philippines", ...
on March 5, 1973. His father, Jun, had also played collegiate varsity basketball and is credited with teaching his son the game. Sauler studied in De La Salle Santiago Zobel School from the Preparatory level to High School. In his junior and senior years he played power forward / center in varsity basketball for the Golden Bengals (now known as the Junior Archers) from 1988 to 1990 in the
UAAP The University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP), established in 1938, is an athletic association of eight Metro Manila universities in the Philippines. The eight-member schools are Adamson University (AdU), Ateneo de Manila Univer ...
. In his senior year, he was recruited by a rival UAAP university for its collegiate team but he chose to enroll and try out for De La Salle University instead. Sauler attended De La Salle University, where he majored in economics. While in college, he played power forward for the De La Salle Green Archers from 1992 to 1994 and led as team captain from 1993 to 1994. On his last year as team captain, the Green Archers reached the finals but lost the championship to UST. Aside from Sauler's varsity presence, his academic performance was also recognized with his thesis paper vying for Best Thesis in Economics.Contributed by "Absolut Verde
"Animus Part 1: Five Searing Memories in La Salle Basketball"
" Go Archers", Manila, July 17, 2012. Retrieved October 4, 2013.
He was conferred a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in economics and was also granted a Loyalty award for being a La Salle student from Preparatory school to college, and a Gawad Magaaral award, specifically the Gawad Br. John Lynam FSC, for sportsmanship and leadership. In 1997, Sauler played for Wilkins Distillery in the
Philippine Basketball League The Philippine Basketball League (PBL) was a commercial semi-professional basketball league in the Philippines. The league was composed of several commercial teams with several collegiate and provincial stars. History The PBL was formed on M ...
through two conferences. In his second conference, he was simultaneously assistant coach of the team.


Coaching career

Sauler became assistant to
Jong Uichico Joseph Enrique "Jong" Floro Uichico (born July 15, 1962) is a Filipino professional basketball coach who is currently serving as the head coach of NLEX Road Warriors in the Philippine Basketball Association. Uichico is a former Philippine nati ...
for the
De La Salle Green Archers The De La Salle Green Archers and Lady Archers are the varsity teams representing De La Salle University in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines, among other leagues. The "Green Archer" is the traditional university mascot. Whi ...
in May 1998 but 6 weeks before the start of the UAAP season,
Franz Pumaren Franz Santos Pumaren (born February 5, 1962) is a Filipino former professional basketball player and coach who is serving as the House of Representatives of the Philippines, representative for Quezon City's Quezon City's 3rd congressional distr ...
took over as head coach. Sauler was in Pumaren's coaching staff for a year. In October 1998, he moved on to coach the De La Salle collegiate women's basketball team, the Lady Archers. He directed them to win three straight UAAP championships (1999–2001) and four straight NCRAA titles. Concurrently, Sauler was head coach of the De La Salle – Zobel Junior Archers which would finish in the top 3 for those seasons. From 2001 to 2002 he was a volunteer coach for the Philippine National Men's Basketball Team in the Asian games under Uichico. In 2002, he moved on to the professional league where he was hired as assistant to Allan Caidic of the
Barangay Ginebra Kings The barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as ''barrio'', is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines. Named after the precolonial polities of the same name, modern barangays are political subdivisio ...
. Sauler rejoined the De La Salle Green Archers as assistant to
Gee Abanilla Gelacio "Gee" Abanilla is a Filipino basketball player, coach, and executive who currently serving as the Team Manager for the San Miguel Beermen of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). Playing career He played for the DLSU Green Arch ...
in October 2011. He took over as head coach on June 8, 2013, just three weeks before the start of the UAAP season 76. In his rookie season at the helm of the Green Archers, Sauler led the team to sweep the second round eliminations and make it to the finals. He subsequently led the team to win the championship against the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers in a final deciding game in overtime. After UAAP season 76, Sauler and deputy coaches Caidic and Jun Limpot observed the training camp of the
San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
and practices of the
University of Texas The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas, United States. Founded in 1883, it is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. With 53,082 students as of fall 2 ...
Longhorns. This was followed by a 5-day comprehensive development program in the New South Wales Institute of Sport in Australia. After the UAAP the Green Archers won the National Championship in Philippine Collegiate Basketball after defeating SWU in the finals of the 2013–2014 season of the
Philippine Collegiate Champions League The Philippine Collegiate Champions League (PCCL) was a national collegiate basketball championship league in the Philippines. Its tournament, known as the "National Collegiate Championship" (NCC) is sanctioned by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pili ...
(PCCL). More recently, the Green Archers won the 2014 FilOil Flying V Hanes Premier Cup preseason tournament by defeating NCAA champions, the
San Beda Red Lions The San Beda Red Lions and Lionesses are the collegiate varsity teams of the San Beda University, best known for their basketball section.Malonso, J. ''"NCAA: A HISTORY''". NCAA(Phils) Homepage. Online. Internet. Accessed 23 May 200NCAA Philippi ...
. At various times since starting coaching, Sauler attended seminars and observerships under
Mike D'Antoni Michael Andrew D'Antoni (born May 8, 1951) is an American-Italian professional basketball coach and former player who most recently served as a coaching advisor for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA). While h ...
(Phoenix Suns 2005), Mike Dunleavy, Sr. (Los Angeles Clippers 2005),
Bill Guthridge William Wallace Guthridge (July 27, 1937 – May 12, 2015) was an American college basketball coach. Guthridge initially gained recognition after serving for thirty years as Dean Smith's assistant at the University of North Carolina and summin ...
(University of North Carolina 1999),
Phil Jackson Philip Douglas Jackson (born September 17, 1945) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Jackson is a 13-time NBA champion, having won two as a player and 11 as ...
(Los Angeles Lakers 2005),
Bob Knight Robert Montgomery Knight (October 25, 1940 – November 1, 2023) was an American men's college basketball coach (basketball), coach. Nicknamed "the General", he won 902 NCAA Division I men's basketball games, a record at the time of his retire ...
(Indiana University 1999),
Mike Krzyzewski Michael William Krzyzewski ( , ; born February 13, 1947), nicknamed "Coach K", is an American former college basketball coach. He served as the head coach at Duke University from 1980–81 Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team, 1980 to 2021†...
(Duke University 1999),
Lute Olson Robert Luther "Lute" Olson (September 22, 1934 – August 27, 2020) was an American basketball coach, who was inducted into both the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. He was the head co ...
(University of Arizona 2005),
Paul Westphal Paul Douglas Westphal (November 30, 1950 – January 2, 2021) was an American basketball player and coach. Westphal played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1972 to 1984. Playing the guard position, he won an NBA championship wi ...
(Pepperdine University 2005),
Ben Howland Benjamin Clark Howland (born May 28, 1957) is an American college basketball coach who most recently served as the men's head coach at Mississippi State University from to 2015 to 2022. He served as the head men's basketball coach at Northern Ar ...
(UCLA 2005), Larry Brown (South Methodist University 2014),
Johnny Dawkins Johnny Earl Dawkins Jr. (born September 28, 1963) is an American basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the UCF men's basketball team. From 2008 to 2016, he was the head coach of Stanford. He was a two-time All-American an ...
(Stanford University 2014), and
Steve Kerr Stephen Douglas Kerr (born September 27, 1965) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the United States men's national ...
(Golden State Warriors 2014). On November 24, 2015, La Salle confirmed the resignation of Sauler as head coach of the Green Archers. Shortly after his resignation, Sauler was immediately hired by Coach Jason Webb to join the Purefoods franchise, which was carrying the name
Star Hotshots The Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots, or simply known as the Magnolia Hotshots, are a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association. The team is owned by San Miguel Food and Beverage, San Miguel Food and Beverage, I ...
at the time. Webb, who was Sauler's former teammate at De La Salle Zobel and De La Salle University, brought him onto the coaching staff as an assistant. This move also marked the end of Sauler's 13-year tenure with Barangay Ginebra. During his time with the Hotshots, the team made multiple finals appearances and eventually won the 2018 PBA Governors' Cup championship with
Romeo Travis Romeo Travis (born December 10, 1984) is an American born naturalized Macedonian former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the University of Akron. High school career Travis was born in Akron, Ohio. As a high scho ...
as their import. In 2024, Sauler was hired by the
UST Growling Tigers The UST Growling Tigers, Tigresses, Tiger Cubs and Tigress Cubs are the Collegiate athletics, collegiate and high school men's and women's varsity teams of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) in the University Athletic Association of the Phili ...
as part of the coaching staff, the team he defeated in 2013 UAAP finals as the head coach of De La Salle. Despite his new role with UST, he continues to serve as an assistant coach for the Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots, a team under the Purefoods franchise in the PBA. In his first season, he led UST to a 3rd place finish after the team had finished last in the previous season. The UST Tigers returned to the Final Four but were eliminated by the UP Fighting Maroons in the semifinals.


Awards

After the UAAP and NCAA seasons, Sauler together with Coach Boyet Fernandez of the San Beda Red Lions, shared the Coach of the Year award of the 2013 Collegiate Basketball Awards hosted by the UAAP-NCAA Press Corps and SMART telecommunications. Sauler also won the Best Coach award for PCCL 2013. In 2023, Sauler was inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame by the De La Salle Alumni Association, recognizing his contributions to La Salle Basketball, particularly his role in leading the Green Archers to the 2013 UAAP Championship and his earlier success with the Lady Archers from 1999-2001.


Advocacy Against Zone Defense

In early 2023, Sauler began conducting research on the Philippines'
FIBA The International Basketball Federation (FIBA ; French language, French: ) is an association of national organizations which governs the sport of basketball worldwide. FIBA defines the rules of basketball, specifies the Basketball equipment ...
ranking compared to other countries. His findings revealed that many top-ranked basketball nations prohibit zone defense at the youth level, allowing young players to develop stronger individual defensive skills, decision making and overall basketball IQ. As a result, Sauler has actively campaigned against the use of zone defense in youth basketball across the Philippines. He has been traveling across the country, conducting basketball clinics and engaging with youth leagues and training camps, advocating for a ban on zone defense for players aged 15 and below. His advocacy has influenced several club organizers and leagues to adopt this rule. Prominent youth basketball leagues such as Batang PBA, Batang Pilipino Basketball League, NBL-Pilipinas, MILCU and others have implemented restrictions on zone defense, impacting over 1,000 youth teams and 15,000 young players nationwide.


Personal life

Sauler met his wife, Agnes Apostol, while they were classmates in De La Salle Zobel. They have two children, Lauren Marie and Santiago Mari. His wife Agnes, was formerly an assistant lecturer at the DLSU School of Economics but is currently working as a VP of HSBC. His daughter Lauren is with the De La Salle Zobel Softball team, and his son Santi plays basketball in the De La Salle Zobel Grade School division. Sauler is second of four children. His sister Rhia is a doctor at the De La Salle University Medical Center. His sister Rica is a professor with the School of Economics of De La Salle University. His brother Nino also played power forward for De La Salle – Zobel. Sauler's sister-in-law, Aissa, is a teacher in De La Salle Zobel and her husband Adonis Santa Maria is a former professional basketball player who also suited up for the DLSU Green Archers.


Coaching record


References


External links


Yahoo Sports Philippines College Hoops Experts' Blog
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sauler, Juno 1973 births Living people Filipino men's basketball players Filipino men's basketball coaches De La Salle Green Archers basketball players Sportspeople from Baguio Basketball players from Benguet Barangay Ginebra San Miguel coaches Magnolia Hotshots coaches De La Salle Green Archers basketball coaches 20th-century Filipino sportsmen