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A connection Phil Martelli Jr. made nearly two decades ago ultimately brought him to Thursday morning.
Martelli was introduced as the new VCU men’s basketball coach in a campus press conference at Siegel Center. CBS Sports reported the former Bryant coach agreed to a six-year deal with the Rams to replace Ryan Odom.
Martelli was hired away from the Bulldogs by VCU athletic director Ed McLaughlin, who spent six years at Niagara before moving to the Rams in July 2012. That time in upstate New York overlapped with Martelli’s stint as an assistant coach with the Purple Eagles – he was on their sideline from 2006-11. They reconnected through a weekend text message after Odom sealed a move to Virginia and Bryant was eliminated from the NCAA Tournament by Michigan State.
“It’s never an easy process to go through to hire a men’s basketball coach here,” McLaughlin said. “But we got another good one.”
Martelli is fresh off America East regular-season and tournament championships in Smithfield. He went 43-25 in two seasons with the Bulldogs after being elevated to replace Jared Grasso. Martelli was a member of Grasso’s original staff in April 2018 and helped develop a pair of conference award winners this season – Player of the Year Earl Timberlake and Newcomer of the Year Barry Evans.
“They know they have a huge fan in me and my family,” Martelli said. “And it was going to take something really special to get us out of there.”
Odom became the sixth straight coach to lead the Rams to the NCAA Tournament. The program has reached the event 14 times since Jeff Capel qualified out of the former Colonial Athletic Association in 2003-04. Anthony Grant, Shaka Smart, Will Wade, Mike Rhoades and Odom have all extended that success over what has become a two-decade run.
“You’ve committed to take us to the next level,” VCU president Dr. Michael Rao said. “That’s what we have as an expectation for you, and we know that you’ll fulfill it.”
Smart led VCU on a Cinderella ride to the Final Four in 2011 and won at least one March Madness game in each of the next two seasons. The Rams have been unable to consistently advance in the postseason ever since – just 1-8 in their last nine NCAA contests, including an 80-71 loss to BYU in this year’s event. Wade’s victory over Oregon State in 2016 was their last taste of success on the grandest stage.
“I wanted someone who has been a head coach and who’s had championship experience” McLaughlin said. “To be here at VCU, you have to know what it’s like to be a champion – because that’s what we are.”
VCU has been one of the Atlantic 10’s power programs since its arrival for the 2012-13 season. The league has sent just one team to March Madness in two of the last three years – the Rams claimed the honor themselves in 2023 and 2025. Their long-term investments in staff, infrastructure and cultivating a wide donor base have allowed them to keep pace with a changing college basketball landscape that will soon add revenue sharing to the transfer portal and name, image and likeness rights.
“This program belongs to all of you,” Martelli said. “Our goal each and every day, above all else, is to make you proud.”
Martelli was joined at the press conference by his family – his wife Meghan and their three children, his parents Phil and Judy, and his brother Jimmy, a former VCU staff member from 2017-23. Martelli also thanked Chris Cole and Ryan Daly for being in attendance – they served as associate head coach and assistant coach, respectively, at Bryant last season. Cole would be the leading in-house candidate to replace Martelli with the Bulldogs, but he could also opt to make a return to his Mid-Atlantic roots and follow Martelli to Richmond.
“I’m excited to get to work with you,” Martelli said. “Because we’ve got big things ahead.”
Bryant is currently at the outset of its search for its next head coach, releasing a statement from athletic director Bill Smith when Martelli's hiring was confirmed Wednesday. The Bulldogs have reached two NCAA Tournaments from two different leagues in the last four years. Bryant set a new Division I program record for wins with 23 and captured 17 of the 19 games they played against conference opponents.
"I assure our loyal and passionate fan base that the Bryant men’s basketball program will continue to compete for championships year in and year out,” Smith said. “The search for the next men’s basketball coach at Bryant University is already underway.”
[email protected]
On X: @BillKoch25
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: What ex-Bryant coach Phil Martelli Jr. said about accepting VCU job
Continue reading...
Martelli was introduced as the new VCU men’s basketball coach in a campus press conference at Siegel Center. CBS Sports reported the former Bryant coach agreed to a six-year deal with the Rams to replace Ryan Odom.
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Martelli was hired away from the Bulldogs by VCU athletic director Ed McLaughlin, who spent six years at Niagara before moving to the Rams in July 2012. That time in upstate New York overlapped with Martelli’s stint as an assistant coach with the Purple Eagles – he was on their sideline from 2006-11. They reconnected through a weekend text message after Odom sealed a move to Virginia and Bryant was eliminated from the NCAA Tournament by Michigan State.
“It’s never an easy process to go through to hire a men’s basketball coach here,” McLaughlin said. “But we got another good one.”
Leaving Bryant wasn't easy
Martelli is fresh off America East regular-season and tournament championships in Smithfield. He went 43-25 in two seasons with the Bulldogs after being elevated to replace Jared Grasso. Martelli was a member of Grasso’s original staff in April 2018 and helped develop a pair of conference award winners this season – Player of the Year Earl Timberlake and Newcomer of the Year Barry Evans.
“They know they have a huge fan in me and my family,” Martelli said. “And it was going to take something really special to get us out of there.”
Odom became the sixth straight coach to lead the Rams to the NCAA Tournament. The program has reached the event 14 times since Jeff Capel qualified out of the former Colonial Athletic Association in 2003-04. Anthony Grant, Shaka Smart, Will Wade, Mike Rhoades and Odom have all extended that success over what has become a two-decade run.
High hopes at VCU
“You’ve committed to take us to the next level,” VCU president Dr. Michael Rao said. “That’s what we have as an expectation for you, and we know that you’ll fulfill it.”
Smart led VCU on a Cinderella ride to the Final Four in 2011 and won at least one March Madness game in each of the next two seasons. The Rams have been unable to consistently advance in the postseason ever since – just 1-8 in their last nine NCAA contests, including an 80-71 loss to BYU in this year’s event. Wade’s victory over Oregon State in 2016 was their last taste of success on the grandest stage.
“I wanted someone who has been a head coach and who’s had championship experience” McLaughlin said. “To be here at VCU, you have to know what it’s like to be a champion – because that’s what we are.”
VCU has been one of the Atlantic 10’s power programs since its arrival for the 2012-13 season. The league has sent just one team to March Madness in two of the last three years – the Rams claimed the honor themselves in 2023 and 2025. Their long-term investments in staff, infrastructure and cultivating a wide donor base have allowed them to keep pace with a changing college basketball landscape that will soon add revenue sharing to the transfer portal and name, image and likeness rights.
“This program belongs to all of you,” Martelli said. “Our goal each and every day, above all else, is to make you proud.”
Martelli's staff still to be determined
Martelli was joined at the press conference by his family – his wife Meghan and their three children, his parents Phil and Judy, and his brother Jimmy, a former VCU staff member from 2017-23. Martelli also thanked Chris Cole and Ryan Daly for being in attendance – they served as associate head coach and assistant coach, respectively, at Bryant last season. Cole would be the leading in-house candidate to replace Martelli with the Bulldogs, but he could also opt to make a return to his Mid-Atlantic roots and follow Martelli to Richmond.
“I’m excited to get to work with you,” Martelli said. “Because we’ve got big things ahead.”
Bryant starting its search
Bryant is currently at the outset of its search for its next head coach, releasing a statement from athletic director Bill Smith when Martelli's hiring was confirmed Wednesday. The Bulldogs have reached two NCAA Tournaments from two different leagues in the last four years. Bryant set a new Division I program record for wins with 23 and captured 17 of the 19 games they played against conference opponents.
"I assure our loyal and passionate fan base that the Bryant men’s basketball program will continue to compete for championships year in and year out,” Smith said. “The search for the next men’s basketball coach at Bryant University is already underway.”
[email protected]
On X: @BillKoch25
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: What ex-Bryant coach Phil Martelli Jr. said about accepting VCU job
Continue reading...
