Founded in 1867, Talladega College is Alabama’s oldest historically black private college and among the oldest liberal arts colleges in the nation. For nearly a decade, Talladega College’s women’s basketball program was almost non-existent. Then, in 2008, the College hired Fil-Am Romeo Lagmay to be the head coach of its women’s basketball team, the Lady Tornadoes. And they were never the same again.
A slew of victories
Coach Lagmay immediately went to work, to lead the Lady Tornadoes into victory after victory. In just one season, Coach Lagmay led his team to garner 22 wins, breaking the College record of 21 wins in one season, under the former head coach Timothy Eatmon. Lagmay then won with his team the USCAA 2010 National Championship.
Recently, the Lady Tornadoes’ team secured another landmark feat in the school’s history for their head basketball coach. The Lady Tornadoes defeated Morris College of South Carolina in Tornado Alley. This victory gave Coach Romeo Lagmay the all-time honor of being the coach with the most wins for women’s basketball in Talladega College’s 145 year history.
Coach Lagmay achieved his 64 wins within 3½ seasons with the Lady Tornadoes. He broke the former school record where Larry McNeil, the current Jackson State University Head Women’s Basketball Coach had 63 wins over six seasons.
After the win, Coach Lagmay remarked, “I am very thankful to my dear Lord Jesus Christ for blessing me with such accolades and allowing me to fulfill my athletic goals in my coaching career. I am also thankful for the TC administration, specifically President Billy C. Hawkins, Vice President Jacqueline Paddio, and former Athletic Director Matthew Cross, having the confidence to hire me and lead the way in returning prominence to the women’s basketball program after nearly a decade of non-existence. I’m fortunate to have a support system from the TC family, the City of Talladega, and personal family, friends and mentors. Now being the All-Time Winningest Women’s Basketball Coach in Talladega College history, I can’t be more than thankful for my current and former coaching staff members and all of the players that contributed to the hard working process of becoming the best we all can be. All of these individuals make coaching easier, enjoyable, and overall fulfilling.”
Coach Lagmay has spoken twice in the Alabama state capital in Montgomery in the House of Congress regarding his achievements, particularly for bringing honor to Alabama in women’s basketball.
Asked how he coached his teams to victory, Lagmay said, “I led teams to victory based on our motto of “setting the standards of a high level of successful performances” and grueling determination! My team is trained and programmed to have a soldier-like mentality, rigorous preparation conditioning/weightlifting/studying, to never ever give up, play hard and tough till the buzzer sounds off, and fear no one!”
Coaching career
Lagmay’s coaching career started in 1996 when he began as a head girls’ basketball coach in California at Denair Middle School. Then, he was Assistant Boys Coach at Los Angeles HS and Abraham Lincoln HS (98-00).
From there, he became the Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania (00-02) and was the NCAA Division II Men’s Coach in 2000 in Pennsylvania.
In 2002, he moved on to West Virginia Tech in Montgomery. In 2006, Lagmay was the Head Coach and General Manager of the International Basketball League of West Virginia Wild.
He was the head coach in the free agent division in the NBA Summer League from 2004-2008.
From 2006-2008, Lagmay was the Head Women’s Basketball Coach at Salem International University in Salem, WV. At Salem, he was runner up Coach of the Year and also won the NCAA Division II’s title as the Most Improved Team.
In 2008, he became the Head Women’s Basketball Coach at Talladega College in Talladega, Alabama.
Proud (third-generation) Pinoy
Lagmay is a third generation Filipino. “My paternal grandparents, Numeriano Lagmay and Benita Quibilan,migrated to the USA in the early 1950’s. My father’s family is from Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur and my mother is half Italian and Spanish. I was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. I attended Fairfax High School for two years, then graduated from El Camino Real High School,” narrated Coach Romeo.
After high school, Lagmay got his AA, Liberal Studies from the Feather River College (Quincy, CA); his BA, Physical Education from the California State University, Dominguez Hills (Carson, CA); and his MA, Counseling and Educational Psychology from the Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania.
In an exclusive interview with Asian Journal, Coach Lagmay said, “I’ve always wanted to be a coach since 11th grade. I was very passionate about the basketball game since the 4th grade. I played junior college basketball as a captain and a two-year starter at Feather River College in Northern California from 1993-95.”
Lagmay admitted that God changed him dramatically from his early teen years. “In California where I was raised, I was involved in street life -gangs and other criminal activities. Fortunately, I became a born again Christian in 1985. I’ve been living great ever since,” he said. “My parents and the rest of my family placed upon me moral values that led me to do more right things than wrong. God and family and true friends have helped shaped me to become the man and coach I am today,” he added.
Coming from immigrant families has taught Coach Lagmay to be a survivor and overcome obstacles. “Both my parents struggled: one migrating from another country trying to learn the language and become financially stable and the other overcoming obstacles living through the foster care system. They never buckled and really strived to do the best they can do without depending or relying on outside sympathy or pity. From their example, I developed a strong, courageous heart. I have learned to become a total survivor in any circumstance!” shared Lagmay.
Formula for success
When not busy coaching, Lagmay said he likes to cook; engage in different sports, such as weightlifting, surfing, and skateboarding; attend symphonies and travel.
The award-winning coach shared his plans for the future: “My plan is to stay in college coaching, whether it is men or women. I want to provide a positive mentorship to my student-athletes, become well-respected in my profession, become as successful as possible at any level of college coaching. I would also like to travel back to the Philippines, visit Italy and Spain, to assist in the sports industry (particularly basketball) in any way I can. And I want to continue to be involved in community relations.”
The successful coach shares his formula for success to his kababayans. “My formula for success is simple: have faith in God and follow His will first. Then everything else falls into place. The other elements follow like recruiting, determination, passion, perseverance, plain hard work, displaying a workmanship of moral excellence. Also, it is vital that we always acknowledge our support system which in my case includes the school administration, my family, mentors, the staff, and my players of course - they all make me look good !”
(photos courtesy of Romeo Lagmay Jr.)
(www.asianjournal.com)
(LA Midweek Feb 22-24, 2012 MDWK pg.2)
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