The Basketball Podcast: EP356 with Phil Martelli on Better Coaching

Phil Martelli is a seasoned college basketball coaching veteran, renowned for his exceptional leadership and strategic acumen. Over his illustrious 24-year tenure at Saint Joseph’s University, Martelli built a powerhouse basketball program that left an indelible mark on the college basketball landscape.

During his time at Saint Joseph’s, Martelli amassed an impressive 444 career wins, ranking him second all-time in the program’s history. Under his guidance, the Hawks secured seven Atlantic 10 regular season or divisional titles and claimed four Atlantic 10 Tournament championships. Martelli’s teams made 16 postseason appearances, with eight NCAA tournament berths and eight NIT selections. His tenure was highlighted by two NCAA Sweet 16 appearances in 1997 and 2004, and the school’s third Elite Eight appearance in 2004.

Martelli’s coaching prowess earned him numerous accolades, including the 2004 National Coach of the year, four Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year honors in 1997, 2001, 2004, and 2005. He was also named USBWA District Coach of the Year in 1997 and 2004 and received Philadelphia Big 5 Coach of the Year honors four times. Throughout his career, Martelli mentored several notable players who went on to successful professional careers, including NBA players Jameer Nelson (2004), Delonte West (2004), and DeAndre’ Bembry (2016).

Martelli most recently served as an assistant coach at the University of Michigan, supporting former head coach Juwan Howard in all aspects of the program. At Michigan, Martelli served as both associate head coach and interim head coach at various times.

Phil Martelli’s legacy extends beyond his impressive coaching record and accolades. His ability to connect with players, instill a winning mindset, and adapt to the ever-evolving landscape of college basketball has solidified his reputation as one of the game’s most respected and influential coaches. His dedication to the sport and his commitment to developing well-rounded athletes continue to inspire those within the basketball community.

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Phil Martelli Quotes:

“Can I go in and make a difference with one teacher, with one superintendent, Can I make a difference with one CEO? That’s a passion of mine and I want to leave people with a little bit more than they came into the room with.”

“When I started, it was, ‘I’m the expert, you’re the follower.’  Now I think we are much more on an even ground, where I would say to a young player, ‘You need to be a teacher. You need to be a learner every day.’ But I would say to the most grizzled coach, ‘You need to be a teacher, you need to be a learner every day.’  In all of our worlds, no matter where we fall in this game, we are trying to be a little bit better each and every day.”

“Our practice segments always included a 20-to-25-minute segment of individual work. Let that ninth man work on his skills . . please take some of your time and forget about your press or forget about your 1-2-2 zone and really work with the players’ skills so that we are addressing their needs and their wants.”

“How do you move forward to be a high school all-league player? That’s only through improvement and it’s only through development. It’s not because somebody came along and said, ‘I remember you were the best fifth grader.’  The same is true of high school. I’m the leading scorer on my high school team. Guess what? There are 150 high school teams in this radius and all of them have a leading scorer. Are you a winner and are you improving? Daily improvement in the game as a person, as a student is paramount. We must keep improving.”

“I think that you hold them [the players] accountable for improving, not for always getting it right, but for improvement. We’re better at that. Now, accountability comes through at game time too, right? The guys that got it right, they played . . Team success brings individual accolades. Individual accolades don’t always lead to team success. So, I think that holding them accountable means holding them accountable to your standards. Are your standards daily improvement? Are your standards effective?”

“Growth and improvement are the goals, not trophies and rankings and shinier uniforms, that would be my way of saying it . . in basketball, we want it to be meaningful communication, and we want the competition to start with yourself. So, when you go out there for 20 minutes and you do your skill work, are you a little bit better?”

Phil Martelli Breakdown: