What's Next for Aldin Ayo After UST Exit?

Last week saw the Mayhem is Espana ended with Aldin Ayo resigning as head coach of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Growling Tigers. While UST and Mayhem are not yet entirely off the hook as government agencies are determining the necessary sanctions for the parties' alleged "Sorsogon bubble", the question remains: what's next for Aldin Ayo and his Mayhem?

When the news of Ayo's resignation came out, rumors began spreading like wildfire that he would make his return to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) with the team that he lead to a championship in 2015: the Letran Knights. That scenario has been shut down by the school's special assistant to the rector for sports development, Alfrancis Chua who commented on social media "Not under my umbrella" upon seeing a screenshot of the tweet speculating Ayo's possible return to Intramuros.  

Other teams in the NCAA and the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) have their respective head coaches locked in for the foreseeable future. With that in mind, the most plausible destination for Aldin Ayo is the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL). In fact, this won't be the first time if and when Ayo takes a coaching job in the league Manny Pacquiao founded as Ayo has already served as the head coach of the Muntinlupa Cagers from 2018 until this year. There are also other MPBL teams who could benefit if they properly employ Ayo's Mayhem. 

Ayo could also make a jump in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) as an assistant coach as it's where he started his professional coaching career as an assistant coach with the Terra Firma Dyip (then known as the Mahindra Enforcer) back 2014 to 2015. There's also the National Basketball League (NBL) which recently became a professional league. 

Aldin Ayo's stint in Espana may have ended in chaos which is ironic because that's what his Mayhem does on the court. As they always say, "When a door closes, another one opens"

Photo is from ESPN