VCU has found its next head coach, tapping Bryant’s Phil Martelli Jr. to lead the Rams following Ryan Odom’s departure to Virginia. Martelli Jr. comes to Richmond after two seasons at Bryant, where he posted a 43-25 record and took the Bulldogs to the NCAA Tournament this past season.
Martelli Jr. has spent time as an assistant at several programs, including Delaware and Manhattan, as well as the G-League’s Delaware 87ers, before joining Bryant in 2018. His father, Phil Martelli Sr., is a well-known figure in college basketball, having led Saint Joseph’s for over two decades and currently serving as Michigan’s associate head coach. Reports indicate that Martelli Sr. will join his son’s staff at VCU, bringing another experienced voice to the program.
VCU has a strong track record of hiring rising coaches, and Martelli Jr. is the latest in a long line that includes Jeff Capel, Anthony Grant, Shaka Smart, Will Wade, Mike Rhoades, and Ryan Odom—each of whom went on to lead other programs. The Rams are coming off a 28-7 season, in which they won both the Atlantic 10 regular-season and tournament titles before falling to BYU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
The next step for Martelli Jr. will be keeping VCU’s roster intact. With the transfer portal already active, player retention will be a priority, as will adding talent from the portal to keep the Rams competitive in the A-10. VCU fans have seen this process play out before, and they’ll be watching closely as the new coach puts his stamp on the program.
Martelli Jr. has spent time as an assistant at several programs, including Delaware and Manhattan, as well as the G-League’s Delaware 87ers, before joining Bryant in 2018. His father, Phil Martelli Sr., is a well-known figure in college basketball, having led Saint Joseph’s for over two decades and currently serving as Michigan’s associate head coach. Reports indicate that Martelli Sr. will join his son’s staff at VCU, bringing another experienced voice to the program.
VCU has a strong track record of hiring rising coaches, and Martelli Jr. is the latest in a long line that includes Jeff Capel, Anthony Grant, Shaka Smart, Will Wade, Mike Rhoades, and Ryan Odom—each of whom went on to lead other programs. The Rams are coming off a 28-7 season, in which they won both the Atlantic 10 regular-season and tournament titles before falling to BYU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
The next step for Martelli Jr. will be keeping VCU’s roster intact. With the transfer portal already active, player retention will be a priority, as will adding talent from the portal to keep the Rams competitive in the A-10. VCU fans have seen this process play out before, and they’ll be watching closely as the new coach puts his stamp on the program.
