Phil Martelli

Phil Martelli, an accomplished collegiate basketball coach, became the Saint Joseph’s University Hawks’ all-time leader in career victories with a 444-328 record during his 24 seasons as head coach. Martelli transitioned to coaching as an assistant at Widener in 1977, before serving as head coach at Bishop Kenrick High School from 1978-1985, where he amassed a 112-85 record and guided his team to the Catholic League title game in 1980. His distinguished 34-year tenure at Saint Joseph’s began in 1985 as an assistant coach, ultimately taking the helm in 1995. Under his leadership, the Hawks achieved 10 twenty-plus win seasons, secured seven Atlantic 10 regular season/divisional titles, and claimed four A-10 Tournament championships in 1997, 2014, and 2016.

He served as chair of the Coaches vs. Cancer National Council for 12 years and co-chair of the Philadelphia chapter, tirelessly advocating for critical causes. For his dedication to both the game and community, he received the prestigious Gene Bartow Award in 2016, among numerous other honors for his extensive philanthropic work.