Martelli to be Inducted into Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame
6/14/2022 4:30:00 PM | Men's Basketball
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. -- University of Michigan men's basketball associate head coach Phil Martelli has been named one of 17 inductees for the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame. Martelli and the Class of 2022 will be enshrined on Thursday, Nov. 3 at the Event Center at Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia.
With over 46 years of coaching experience, Martelli continues to reshape college basketball on a national landscape with not only how the game is played, but with his efforts off the court and in the community.
As U-M's associate head coach, Martelli has been instrumental in the mentoring of head coach Juwan Howard and has brought vast expertise to the Wolverines. In four seasons, he has helped Michigan to a 61-32 record, the 2021 Big Ten title and earned the No. 1 seeds in the Big Ten and NCAA Tournaments in 2021.
Despite the 2020 postseason being canceled due to COVID-19, the Maize and Blue has advanced to the Sweet 16 twice and to the Elite Eight in 2021.
Before heading to Ann Arbor, Martelli spent 34 years at Saint Joseph's. During his final 24 seasons as head coach, Martelli built the Hawks into one of the most consistent Atlantic 10 programs. The Hawks' all-time leader in career victories (444), Martelli recorded nine 20-plus win seasons -- including a school-record 30 in 2004. His A-10 record of 218-176 ranks second all-time, trailing only Temple's John Chaney.
Martelli's teams made 13 postseason appearances (seven NCAA, six NIT) advancing to two NCAA Sweet 16s (1997, 2004) and the 2004 Elite Eight. The 2004 team finished the regular season undefeated (27-0) and No. 1 in the country before suffering its first loss in the A-10 Tournament. Saint Joseph's ultimately advanced to the Elite Eight that postseason. Martelli and his point guard Jameer Nelson swept the consensus National Coach and Player of the Year honors that year.
Overall, Martelli was named the A-10 Coach of the Year four times (1997, 2001,'04, '05), the USBWA District Coach of the Year twice (1997, 2004) and the Philadelphia Big 5 Coach of the Year four times (1996, '97, 2004, '16).
He won six A-10 regular season/divisional titles (1997, 2001, '02, '03, '04, '05) and guided the Hawks to three A-10 Tournament titles (1997, 2014, '16). His 18 postseason wins (seven NCAA, 11 NIT) are the most in Saint Joseph's history.
Martelli spent seven years as head basketball coach at Bishop Kenrick High School in the Philadelphia Catholic League, while current Hall of Fame women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma served as an assistant under Martelli from 1979-81. Martellu began his coaching career as an assistant coach at his alma mater Widener College in 1977, helping the Pioneers reach the 1978 NCAA Division III Final Four and title game.
Martelli will celebrate 45 years of marriage with the former Judy Marra, who played on two national championship basketball teams at Immaculata College. In 2014, Marra's Immaculata teams were inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Along with Martelli, the Class of 2022 will include: David Akers, Keith Allen, Reds Bagnell, Ed Bolden, Adele Boyd, Charles Cooper, Howard Eskin, Susan Francia, Nikki Franke, Fredia Gibbs, Bernard Hopkins, Ray Kelly, Rollie Massimino, Art McNally, Jimmy Rollins as well as the 1983 NBA Champion Philadelphia 76ers.
