FRANKIE Lim chose to call it quits after Perpetual Help failed to fulfill its financial obligations that the four-time NCAA champion coach is entitled to.
“Yes, I’ve left,” Lim told Malaya-Business Insight yesterday.
“They suspended my contract starting last July. (Perpetual) can’t pay me anymore,” he added.
The Altas’ athletics program was reportedly deactivated last May due to the economic crunch inflicted by the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic.
The contracts of Lim’s assistant coaches were not renewed and with his pact uncertain, Lim opted to leave Perpetual after two seasons.
College of St. Benilde also laid off the coaches and staff of its varsity teams, including Blazers strategist TY Tang, last July 28.
After taking over from former Altas player Nosa Omorogbe at the helm, Lim promptly steered the Las Piñas-based five to the Final Four in 2018 where they wound up with an 11-7 card for fourth behind 6-foot-11 Nigerian big man Prince Eze, who bagged the MVP award in that same year.
Perpetual, however, lost to San Beda University in their Final Four battle.
Parading a young core built around Anthony Peralta, Jielo Razon, and Kim Aurin after the graduation of Eze, the Altas finished with a 5-13 record for seventh in the last NCAA cage wars, with Lim taking a one-game leave midway through the season.
With the country’s pandemic woes having no end in sight, the NCAA is looking to launch its new season early next year.
Only the mandatory sports of basketball, volleyball, swimming, and track and field are set to be played in the league calendar.
Online chess has been added to its slate, while esports will most likely be included in the NCAA 96th season.
The 95th season of the country’s oldest collegiate league was called off mid-March at the start of the government-imposed lockdown to curb the spread of the lethal pulmonary disease caused by COVID-19.
