Son of legendary HC boosts profile after clinching first NCAA Tournament appearance
Phil Martelli Jr., the son of legendary former Saint Joseph’s men’s basketball coach Phil Martelli, put his name on the map on Saturday as his Bryant Bulldogs clinched the second NCAA Tournament bid in program history.
Bryant (23-11, 14-2 America East) defeated Maine (20-14, 10-6 America East), 77-59, in the America East Playoffs final. It’s the Bulldogs’ first America East tournament championship but their second conference tournament title in the past four seasons.
In 2022, Bryant won the Northeastern Conference (NEC) regular-season and tournament championships to secure its first NCAA Tournament bid as a No. 16 seed. That year, the Bulldogs lost to Wright State, 93-82, in the First Four.
The program moved to the America East ahead of the start of the 2022-23 season under former head coach Jared Grasso, who resigned in November 2023.
Phil Martelli Jr. steadied Bryant during a potentially tumultuous time, going 20-13 in his first year as head coach, leading Bryant to the America East tournament semifinals before this season’s breakthrough.
His father, Phil Martelli, coached Saint Joseph’s for 24 seasons (1995-2019), leading the Hawks to seven NCAA Tournament appearances.
During the 2003-04 season, he guided Saint Joseph’s to an undefeated regular season and No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, where it reached the Elite Eight.
Phil Martelli Jr. was a member of that team, along with future NBAers Jameer Nelson, Delonte West and Dwayne Jones.
In November 2022, Phil Martelli Sr. was enshrined in the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame. Earlier this year, in February 2025, he was announced as one of four recipients of the Joe Lapchick Character Award, along with all-time great women’s college basketball head coach Geno Auriemma, men’s basketball official and CBS rules analyst Gene Steratore and former Fordham athletic director Frank McLaughlin.
Per the award’s official website, honorees are celebrated for demonstrating “honorable character throughout their careers.”
Phil Martelli Jr. comes from an impressive bloodline, and he’s establishing himself with his own credentials at Bryant, notching his first NCAA Tournament appearance as a head coach.
This season, the Bulldogs are No. 17 in the nation in scoring (82.5 points per game). They have excellent size, with their five most significant contributors standing 6-foot-6 or higher. Bryant’s 200 blocks are the third most in Division I, and its 5.7% block rate ranks second. (h/t KenPom)
The Bulldogs’ size and scoring ability make them a potentially tricky matchup in the NCAA Tournament.
Phil Martelli Jr.’s stock is up after leading Bryant to its second March Madness appearance in just his second season as head coach. He could be a leading candidate for a promotion this offseason. It will be Bryant’s gain if he’s not.
