Michigan Basketball: How long will Phil Martelli stick around?

Michigan basketball’s associate head coach Phil Martelli left his former job with the intention of being a head coach again. How long until that itch returns?

Juwan Howard didn’t have the prerequisite knowledge of NCAA rules when he was hired as Michigan basketball‘s head coach. There are textbooks that will tell you the do’s and don’t of being a college coach, but those take a long time to master. Growing pains will always rear their ugly face: dropping the name of a recruit who hasn’t committed, leaving a guy on the court too long during game day, among other issues.

The rookie head coach knew he needed help. He needed The Godfather, Phil Martelli, by his side. With one phone call and the encouragement of other coaches and former players, Juwan had his man.

“When I got the call from Phil, I told him he has to take the (Michigan) job,” said Jameer Nelson, one of Phil’s best players during his 24 year stretch as a head coach at Saint Joseph’s. “Phil is in a situation where he’s an assistant, but being with Juwan, who’s a first-year head coach, he’ll be a big help.”

Martelli began his coaching career at his alma mater, left there to coach high school ball until 1985, and then started his 34-year career with Saint Josephs, starting out as an assistant before eventually taking over as head coach.

From 1977 to 2019, Martelli lived, worked, and grew his family in Pennsylvania.

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When he was fired, Phil was adamant he would only take a head coaching position, and many believed he wouldn’t even consider going back to being an assistant. He had coasted for too long as the head man and going back to the daily grind of scouting, recruiting, and menial tasks aren’t glamorous or fitting for a guy with a resume like Martelli’s.

But then again, Phil isn’t treated that way in Ann Arbor; he’s not doing the typical jobs that are left to assistants. During practice, he stands off and watches as the staff works with there assigned players, overseeing the entire operation. During games, Phil doesn’t stand up like he used to, that’s left up to Juwan, although he keeps his head coaching mentality, especially for the particulars: timeouts, roster movement, and other tasks that a first-year might forget in the heat of the moment.

He knows how much he’s needed with Michigan basketball and was given a title fitting of his responsibilities: associate head coach.

Still, Martelli isn’t one to play second fiddle. He built the Hawks from the ground up. When he took over, they hadn’t had an NCAA tournament appearance in nearly ten years, and within two seasons, they found themselves in the Sweet Sixteen. And for Michigan basketball to succeed as much as it did, Phil must have had a conversation or two about other opportunities. Whether he entertained them or not, we may ever know.

What is known is what Martelli has said publicly. He’s not here to finish off his storied career as an average assistant on an above-average basketball team.

“I’m not here about me. I’m here about winning a national championship.” Martelli told reporters.

Will he leave if that day comes? Most likely, but for now, he’s sticking around to coach the players, mentor the staff, and guide Juwan to glory.

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