Atoy Co

Fortunato "Atoy" Gan Co Jr. (born October 15, 1951) is a Filipino former basketball player and coach who played 13 seasons in the Philippine Basketball Association, mostly with Crispa Redmanizers. Nicknamed "The Fortune Cookie" (a pun on his name and ethnicity) during his playing days, he was notable for his trademark turnaround fadeaway jump shot.[1] He is also a former politician and actor.

In this Philippine name, the middle name or maternal family name is Gan and the surname or paternal family name is Co.
Atoy Co
Co in 2010
Personal information
Born (1951-10-15) October 15, 1951
Pasig, Rizal, Philippines
NationalityFilipino
Listed height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Listed weight168 lb (76 kg)
Career information
CollegeMapúa Institute of Technology
Playing career1975–1988
PositionShooting guard / Point guard
Coaching career1989–1991, 2012–present
Career history
As player:
1972–1984Crispa Redmanizers
1985–1986Manila Beer Brewmasters
1987–1988Great Taste/Presto Ice Cream
As coach:
1989–1991Crispa 400 (PBL)
2012-2018Mapua Cardinals (NCAA)
Career highlights and awards
As player:
  • 1x PBA MVP (1979)
  • PBA Hall of Fame Class of 2005
  • PBA's 25 Greatest Players
  • 9× PBA Mythical First Team (1975–1977, 1979–1984)
  • Top 10: Scoring Average
  • Top 25: 3-Point Percentage
  • Top 25: Free Throw Percentage
  • 4x Season Champion: Total Points
  • Season Champion: Scoring Average
  • 2x Season Champion: 3-Points Made
  • 3x Season Champion: 2-Points Made

As head coach:
Championships (2):
*1990 PBL Challenge Cup (Crispa 400)
*1991 PBL Maharlika Cup (Crispa 400)
As commissioner:

  • 1st commissioner of the UNTV Cup (2013–present)

Early life

Co was born on October 15, 1951 in Pasig, then part of Rizal province. His parents were Fortunato Co, Sr. and Ana Gan.

Collegiate and amateur career

Co joined the Mapúa Cardinals in 1970 and played for the Mapúa team for three years. He was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) during his first two years.[2] He also brought his wares with the old Crispa team in the MICAA.

Professional career

Co first played in the PBA on April 22, 1975, scoring 34 points and leading Crispa to a 113-102 win over CFC, the team's first victory after starting the season with three straight defeats.

During his PBA stint, he played for the two-time grand slam champion Crispa Redmanizers from 1975 to 1984, with him as one of the team's top scorers. In 1976, he received the All-Filipino Sports Award for Basketball.

Post-PBA career

Acting career

Co ventured into television and films after his playing days were over, first as a co-host for the noontime show Student Canteen over at RPN (now Solar TV), and started alongside action stars like Phillip Salvador in films such as Delima Gang in 1989. He made a career mostly out of playing supporting roles in films and television series.

Politics and other interests

Co became a politician when he served as a long-time city councilor of Pasig from 1998 to 2007.[3] In 2010, he ran again as councilor and was successful in his reelection bid.[4]

He also operated a sports bar named Atoy's at Metrowalk, Pasig.[5]

Coaching career

In 1989, Co became the coach of the Crispa 400 in the PABL, leading the team to two titles in 1990 and 1991.

He served as the head coach of his alma mater, the Mapúa Cardinals, from 2012 to 2018.[6][7]

Commissioning career

In 2013, Co became the first commissioner of the UNTV Cup, which is the first charity basketball league dedicated for public servants in the Philippines, an original concept by "Mr. Public Service" Daniel Razon.[8]

Coaching record

Collegiate record
SeasonTeamEliminationsPlayoffs
WLPCTFinishPGWLPCTResults
2013MIT216.11110thDid not qualify.
2014MIT414.11110thDid not qualify.
2015MIT126.6673rd321.667Lost to Letran in the Semifinals.
2016MIT126.6673rd101.000Lost to Arellano in the Semifinals.
2017MIT315.16710thDid not qualify.
2018MIT612.3337thDid not qualify.
Totals3969.361422.5000 championships

References
  1. Velasco, Bill. "Atoy's stories". www.philstar.com. Philippine Star. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
  2. "Atoy Co is Mapúa Cardinals' new head coach". mapua.edu.ph/. Mapua Institute of Technology. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
  3. Gorospe, Marjorie. "Life after PBA for the "Fortune Cookie"". www.inquirer.net. Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on 5 January 2015.
  4. Joble, Rey. "Guiao, 5 other sports celebs headed for victory in political bids". www.gmanetwork.com. GMA News. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
  5. Henson, Joaquin. "Atoy rebuilds Mapua for future". www.philstar.com. Philippine Star. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
  6. Payo, Jasmine. "Cards set to name Atoy Co as mentor". www.inquirer.net. Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
  7. "NCAA: Mapua moving on from head coach Atoy Co". ABS-CBN News. 9 November 2018. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  8. "UNTV Cup Season 6 kicks off". UNTVweb.com. 12 September 2017. Retrieved 24 December 2018.
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