VCU Basketball: McLaughlin taps Phil Martelli Jr. as new head coach

Phil Martelli Jr. is the next guy that’s going to do a bang-up job with VCU Basketball, then move up into the Power 6.

I’m getting ahead of myself.

Martelli was named the head coach at VCU on Wednesday, and since it was Ed McLaughlin doing the hiring, this is good for Martelli, who was most recently the head coach at Bryant, which he just led to an NCAA Tournament berth out of the America East Conference.

“Phil has proven himself as a winner throughout his career. He helped engineer a historic turnaround at Bryant seven years ago, and led the program to unprecedented success the past two seasons as head coach. He has clearly lived his entire life amid college basketball legends, but has made his own path and paid his dues through hard work, good character and a devotion to developing young men into the best versions of themselves through sport. There’s a reason he’s served on the staffs of multiple championship programs. I’m excited to have Phil, Meghan and the kids become part of the Ram Nation family,” McLaughlin said in a statement.

Martelli, 43, is the son of, obviously, the other Phil Martelli, who had a 444-328 record and seven NCAA Tournament appearances in 24 seasons as the head coach at Saint Joseph’s, an A-10 rival of VCU.

The younger Martelli played for his dad from 1999-2003, then immediately went into college coaching, serving stints as an assistant at Central Connecticut, Manhattan, Niagara and Delaware before landing as an assistant at Bryant in 2018.

Martelli was elevated to the head coach job there in 2023, and led Bryant to a 20-13 record in his Year 1 and a 23-12 record this past season.

Martelli succeeds Ryan Odom, who was 52-21 in two seasons at VCU, and was named the head coach at Virginia over the weekend.

“Thank you to Dr. Michael Rao, Ed McLaughlin, and the entire VCU community for welcoming me and my family,” Martelli said in a statement. “VCU has long been a dream job for me because of the high standards of excellence and national brand. I am excited to help carry on the legacy that has been set here and help elevate it to the next level.”