Maria Harper says she still has another coaching chapter in her, and the Philippines could be the place where the longtime basketball coach returns to the bench.
Maria Harper, the mother of San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper, has expressed interest in coaching the Philippine national team as she considers the next move in a career that has spanned roughly three decades. Speaking with Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson at the inaugural Harper U event at Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey, New Jersey, Harper said she misses coaching after spending the past season away from the bench.
“I took a little time off, but I’ve got one more itch I’d like to scratch,” Harper said. “I don’t know where that will be, but I would love an opportunity to coach the Philippine national team.” Her interest carries a personal connection, as Harper immigrated from the Philippines to the United States when she was seven and grew up in Paterson, New Jersey.
Harper’s basketball background extends well beyond being the mother of two NBA players. She played collegiately at the University of New Orleans, began coaching in Chicago and later worked in New Jersey high school basketball, including a stint as head girls’ coach at DePaul Catholic before eventually joining the boys’ staff at Don Bosco Prep.
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Her coaching path also became closely connected to the development of her sons. Harper stepped away from DePaul Catholic because its schedule conflicted with Ron Harper Jr.’s high school games, then later returned to the sideline at Don Bosco while Dylan was there. She has credited the school’s community and values, not simply basketball, for making it an important part of the family’s journey.
Dylan has repeatedly credited his mother with shaping his game from childhood through high school. The Spurs selected him No. 2 overall in the 2025 NBA Draft after his lone season at Rutgers, and he went on to average 11.8 points, 3.9 assists and 3.4 rebounds over 69 regular-season games before taking on a larger role during San Antonio’s run to the 2026 NBA Finals.
Maria told Robinson that Dylan’s first NBA season forced him to embrace a different challenge after years as a central figure at Don Bosco and Rutgers. “Being challenged to play alongside top-tier talent and earn every single minute in that system was great for him,” she said. “Nothing was given; everything was earned.” Her own next challenge could now reconnect her coaching career with her Filipino roots if an opportunity with the national program eventually materializes. Complex first highlighted Harper’s comments Friday.
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