Martelli lost his job at Saint Joseph’s in 2019 after 24 seasons, but his name is back in the Atlantic 10 Conference. His son, Phil Martelli Jr., is the new head coach at Virginia Commonwealth.
Martelli Jr. talked about his dad and his own history with Dayton at A-10 Media Day on Tuesday at PPG Paints Arena.
“We all love Dayton,” Martelli Jr. said. “I’ve been part of the First Four a couple times now at Niagara and Bryant. Before one of those games — I think we were playing Wright State — I’m standing in the tunnel (at UD Arena), and I started up a conversation with one of the security guards who had been there for a million years. As soon as I said, ‘Phil Martelli,’ he lit up. He said, ‘Oh my god, I stood here with your dad.’“
Martelli Jr. was an assistant coach at Niagara when it played in the First Four in 2007 and an assistant coach at Bryant when it lost to Wright State in the First Four in 2022. He became the Bryant head coach in 2023 and moved to VCU earlier this year when VCU’s Ryan Odom took the job at Virginia.
Martelli Jr. also played for his dad at Saint Joseph’s from 1999-2003 and experienced UD Arena during that time.
Martelli’s new team is the defending A-10 champion and the preseason favorite for the second straight year. Dayton and VCU have split their regular-season series four years in a row.
“I say this with all due respect: VCU and Dayton, those fan bases get it,” Martelli Jr. said.
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