By ADRIAN STEWART CO

Ricky Dandan, a former head coach of the University of St. La Salle Bacolod (USLS) men’s basketball team, has passed away at the age of 61 due to an undisclosed illness.

Dandan’s passing on Tuesday afternoon, November 12, was confirmed through a post by the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League, where Dandan served as head coach for the 1Bataan Risers and as an assistant coach for the Manila SV Batang Sampaloc SGA Stars.

Dandan started his coaching career with the USLS men’s basketball team in Bacolod City before being hired by the Manila Metrostars in the now-defunct Metropolitan Basketball Association.

In the PBA, Dandan also served as an assistant coach for Air21 Express and the Powerade Tigers.

He also became an assistant for the Terrafirma Dyip franchise before briefly holding the head coaching role of the squad.

Dandan, who played for the University of the Philippines (UP) in the 80s, also became an assistant coach and head coach for the Fighting Maroons before he became part of the UP Office of Athletic and Sports Development until his passing./ASC, WDJ