Leo Austria credits renewed defensive identity, World Cup learnings in SMB’s 30th title run

San Miguel Beermen head coach Leo Austria credited the team’s improved defense—rooted in insights he gained during his time away from coaching—as a key factor in their successful run to the 2025 PBA Philippine Cup championship.

Following their 107-96 title-clinching win over the TNT Tropang 5G in Game 6, Austria shared that the Beermen’s defensive transformation began last conference when he was reinstated as head coach.

“Hindi ko inakala na makakabalik agad ako, although before I was reinstated as head coach, ibinalik na ako sa team. I just have to overlook what is happening to the team,” Austria said in a post-game interview.

Austria said his coaching hiatus, which coincided with the country’s hosting of the 2023 FIBA World Cup, turned out to be a blessing in disguise. It gave him time to closely observe the trends shaping the global game.

“I was so fortunate those times na hindi ako involved sa team, because that time World Cup season eh na ginawa dito. I was able to watch most of the games; everyday nasa MOA ako or Araneta to figure out what is happening in basketball internationally, and I picked up a lot of things,” he said.

Those observations eventually made their way into the Beermen’s system when Austria took over from then-head coach Jorge Gallent, who returned to his assistant coaching duties.

“That’s the reason, if you noticed, our defense is different from the past,” Austria explained. “From there, inapply ko ‘yun sa team namin, and I keep on watching the game, the semifinals, and the tendencies of the players and coach, and it helped us a lot.”

Austria admitted that his changes initially came as a shock to some of the players, especially as he re-emphasized fundamental principles and gave clearer direction to each team member.

“That’s why pagbalik ko as head coach, nanibago ‘yung mga players eh. From day one, we got the basics from one-on-one to five-on-five, and I was able to define the roles of everyone,” he said.

That renewed discipline and clarity of roles paid off, as the Beermen secured their 30th overall PBA title—further cementing their place as one of the league’s most storied franchises.