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Phil Martelli
By Allyson Turner
Success at St. Joseph's arrived quickly for Phil Martelli, who replaced former boss John Griffin as head coach before the 1995-96 season. Martelli promptly guided the Hawks to a 19-13 record and the finals of the National Invitation Tournament. Martelli became the fifth first-year coach to lead his team to the NIT Final Four since the tournament's field expanded in 1980. He joined Nolan Richardson (Tulsa, 1981), Walt Hazzard (UCLA, 1985), Tommy Eagles (Louisiana Tech, 1986) and Speedy Morris (La Salle, 1987).
Martelli and St. Joe's finished the following season 26-7 and won the Atlantic 10 regular-season and tournament championships. The Hawks earned a final national ranking of 12th (Associated Press) and a trip to the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16. Martelli was named Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year, as well as District Coach of the Year by the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA), the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), Eastern Basketball and Basketball Times.
A Drexel Hill, Pa. native, Martelli played at Widener, where he was a member of NCAA Tournament teams in both '75 and '76. A talented point guard, he set the school single-season and career assist marks.
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Coaching might be a hair-raising job for some people, but not Martelli.
(Allsport)
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"Get a real job!" -- an irate fan at our most recent loss.
Which person, past or present, do you most admire in college basketball?
Al McGuire.
If tomorrow were your birthday, what would be the ideal gift?
A full head of hair.
What is one word or phrase that you live by?
Respect.
What is your pet peeve(s)?
People who are late and coaches who call each other "Coach."
If you could be a fly on the wall anywhere, where would you be?
Dennis Rodman's house.
What are you intimidated by?
Computers.
What was the greatest moment for you on the court?
Winning the 1997 A-10 Championship.
Who or what are you in awe of?
I stand in awe of people who dedicate everything they do for others.
It's your last meal, where and what do you eat?
Seafood spaghetti at any Italian restaurant, followed by popcorn.
If you could have anyone over your house for dinner, whom would you
invite?
John Kennedy and the Pope.
When were you really embarrassed?
My wedding day -- I forgot part of my vows.
What is a perfect day?
Sleep in, I'm not a morning person. Then a combination of work and family life. Reading late into the night. I love the time after midnight.
For each of the following sports figures, what is the first word that comes to mind: