COLUMN: Phil Martelli: Pride of the Big 5

Scott Miller, Commentary If something gets under his skin, he lets you know about it. When he speaks, there is no such thing as beating around the bush. St. Joseph's basketball coach Phil Martelli is one coach who truly graces the sidelines, with all the personality of any Big 5 coach. After 10 years of being an assistant to John Griffin, Martelli assumed the top position for the 1995-96 season. It took him less than two months in the regular season to gain notoriety. One week and one year ago today, Martelli first made national headlines during a press conference held at the Palestra. "They recruit McDonald's All-Americans. We recruit guys who eat at McDonald's," said Martelli, referring to the fact that Lute Olson and the Arizona Wildcats didn't show up in Philadelphia to play the Hawks, citing the blizzard which hit the area seven days before. Just two and a half months later, Martelli led his Hawks to the finals of the National Invitational Tournament at Madison Square Garden. But the most remarkable thing about Martelli is his ability to express himself like no other coach in basketball. After beating the Quakers in the game after the Arizona incident, Martelli was sure to "thank Fran Dunphy at the University of Pennsylvania for making a difficult trip down the [Schuylkill] Expressway" to show up for the game. After defeating Rhode Island to make it to the NIT semifinals, Martelli was sure to point out that his group of guys were nothing more than "scrawny" and "scruffy", playing with a lot of heart. And at the NIT semifinals in New York, Martelli was sure to say he was "Phil Martelli, not Coach Martelli," saying that coaches don't deserve a title, like doctor. Ironically, Martelli isn't the only first-year coach to take his team to the NIT semifinals. Fellow Big 5 coach Speedy Morris (La Salle) accomplished the same feat in 1987. Saturday night, Martelli took his personality and applied it to the importance of basketball in Philadelphia. "Whether our guys were born in Philadelphia or not, they're Philadelphians. They play their college basketball in Philadelphia. Really, turn on the television. "You wanna watch North Carolina and Georgia Tech? You wanna watch UMass and BC? I watched all those games today. There's nothing like this. This is the best," said Martelli after the game. And who could better represent Philadelphia basketball, even if he is only a second-year head coach. Besides the 12 years of service at St. Joseph's (second-most as an assistant coach), Martelli had put in seven years at Bishop Kenrick High School of the Catholic League, where he guided the team to the playoffs from 1980 to 1985 and earned the school record for wins with 108. Prior to that, he coached at Widener, his alma mater. More importantly, Martelli has embraced the tradition of St. Joseph's basketball that was handed to him on a silver platter. In 41 seasons, the Hawks have made 25 appearances in post-season tournaments. St. Joe's has also been graced by outstanding coaches, including Jack Ramsay, who went on to NBA fame and now is a commentator on ESPN. Martelli is not afraid of the pressure or the spotlight. What you read in the paper is what Martelli feels in his heart, and that virtue alone is enough to put him among the best coaches in basketball today.