According to reports from ESPN’s Pete Thamel and CBS Sports insider Jon Rothstein on Tuesday night, VCU is set to hire Bryant’s Phil Martelli Jr. as its next men’s basketball head coach.
However, VCU Athletics has yet to officially confirm or announce the hire.
Martelli Jr., 43, guided Bryant to a 23-12 record this past season, leading the Bulldogs to an America East Conference title and an NCAA Tournament appearance. As a No. 15 seed, Bryant fell to No. 2 Michigan State 87-62 in the first round.
His father, Phil Martelli Sr., 70, a respected figure in college basketball and longtime head coach at Saint Joseph’s—most recently serving as Michigan’s associate head coach—is expected to join his son’s staff at VCU in some capacity.
Martelli Jr. steps in following the departure of former VCU head coach Ryan Odom, who accepted the head coaching position at Virginia this past weekend after compiling a 52-21 record over two seasons with the Rams.
After Bryant’s NCAA Tournament loss to Michigan State, Martelli Jr. reflected on the experience.
“It’s an honor to be here, and it’s an honor to coach against a Hall of Famer like Tom Izzo,” he said on Friday. “He’s forgotten more about this game than I’ll ever know. Competing against someone like him—who’s not only a great coach but also a great person—was a valuable learning experience.”
Martelli Jr. is a Saint Joseph’s alumnus (1999-2003) and played four seasons for the Hawks under his father. He was part of NCAA Tournament teams in 2001 and 2003 and served as a co-captain for the 2002-03 season alongside SJU legend Jameer Nelson.
His coaching career began in 2003 at Central Connecticut, where, at just 22 years old, he became the youngest full-time assistant in Division I. He later held the same role at Manhattan (2005-06) before spending five seasons (2006-2011) at Niagara.
During his time at Niagara, Martelli Jr. helped guide the Purple Eagles to a 95-69 record, a 2007 MAAC Tournament championship, and an NCAA Tournament win—a 77-69 victory over Florida A&M in the Play-in Game to advance to the round of 64.
He then moved on to Delaware, where he spent five seasons (2011-2016), contributing to an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2014 and helping the Blue Hens set a program record for conference wins over a five-year stretch (55).
After a season as an assistant with the G-League’s Delaware 87ers and another (2017-18) as Saint Joseph’s director of program administration, Martelli Jr. joined Bryant in 2018 as an assistant coach. He was promoted to associate head coach in August 2020 before taking over as head coach on Nov. 15, 2023. In two seasons leading the program, he compiled a 43-25 record.
Reflecting on his family’s deep basketball roots after Bryant’s NCAA Tournament game, Martelli Jr. spoke about what it has meant to him throughout his career.
“It’s special,” he said. “I’ve seen it from both sides—watching my father as a player and now experiencing it as a coach. There aren’t many chances to gain both perspectives.”
He also expressed appreciation for his wife, Meghan, and their children, Marra, Philip, and Nathan, who attended the game.
“For them to go through what I did at similar ages, it means a lot. They’ve sacrificed so much—this journey isn’t easy for any of us, especially for families. I know what it’s like to see your father succeed, and I know how hard it is to watch him struggle. My family means everything to me.”
When asked about maintaining the momentum of his program, Martelli Jr. acknowledged the fast-paced nature of today’s college basketball landscape.
“In this day and age, there’s not much time to pause and catch your breath,” he said. “The transfer portal opens on Monday.”
After guiding Bryant to both the America East regular-season and tournament championships, Martelli Jr. earned conference Coach of the Year honors as well as National Association of Basketball Coaches Mid-Atlantic District Coach of the Year.
His father, Martelli Sr., had a distinguished career at Saint Joseph’s, leading the program to seven NCAA Tournament appearances over 24 seasons.
Martelli Jr.’s brother, Jimmy Martelli, also has ties to VCU, having served as the Rams’ director of basketball operations under former head coach Mike Rhoades. He is currently part of Rhoades’ staff at Penn State.
An official announcement from VCU is expected on Wednesday, with an introductory press conference to follow later in the week.
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