Coach Phil Martelli has stepped into the role of interim head coach for the remainder of the regular season. Coach Martelli has been lauded for his success as the head coach of St. Joseph’s for 34 years. People know he is an experienced coach, providing support at the assistant and head coaching levels for 45 years in total. I wanted to share with you all some of the things that Coach Martelli does well with his players; in particular, some things that may not get talked about in the media as much.

Preparation for Special Situations

One of the toughest things to do as a coach is preparing for the pressure situations within games. A lot of times, coaches will imitate crowd noise by putting some fans cheering on the speakers in the gym. Obviously, practice can’t perfectly recreate the intensity of a game; however, Coach Martelli provides multiple special scenarios within a practice to prepare players for things they may see. Late game free throws when we were leading, special plays run by other teams to score, and potential counters to opposing defenses were all covered before our games. In many scouting situations, the coaches watch the opponent's tight games and see what kind of plays they run. For example, the coaches will watch film on Rutgers’ closest games to see the special plays that Coach Pikeill could potentially run against the team.

Coach Martelli will have Michigan prepared for the tight games that they need to win to make the NCAA tournament. Players will be prepared for the toughest of situations and will be ready to act on instinct instead of scrambling to stop a tough play. The staff’s scouting style even goes deep into the tendencies of opponents. Guys like Geo Baker and Ron Harper Jr. will go to certain moves when plays break down, or in a late shot clock situation. Coach Martelli instructs guys on the scout team to do these moves in practice to prepare the rotation players even further for the game.

“Just Play Basketball”

Coach Martelli often runs simplistic drills that will help players hone their basic skills in the game. These drills often involve layups, combinations of moves, and simple jump shot actions. A lot of the younger players don’t fully understand the importance of these drills late in the season. Throughout the 20 Big Ten game schedule, every team brings a unique challenge to the table. Practicing the basics of basketball will allow players to adapt to situations where there aren’t Xs and Os, or a strict script to follow on the court. Coach Martelli does a great job of emphasizing this in practice by often saying the phrase, “Just play basketball”. This serves as a reminder that while following plays and a game plan is important, players cannot let it prevent them from reacting to different situations that occur in the game.

This can be one of the toughest things to teach the young players in a program. A lot of guys are looking for ways to get into the rotation or please the coaching staff. Sometimes, this type of thinking restricts players from their full potential. Coach Martelli tailors his coaching style to each player’s mindset to help them utilize their skill sets to the best of their ability.

A Willingness to Adapt

A lot of old-school coaches take a tougher stance when coaching players. Strict play calling, yelling all the time, or using constant conditioning as forms of punishment are still present, but not frequent. Many coaches today utilize positive reinforcement as a way to remain connected to their players and get their message across. Coach Martelli’s experience as a head coach has given him the opportunity to coach in multiple eras of basketball. He understands how to adapt his communication with his teams from year to year, and player to player to still be an impactful teacher.

Players often go to Coach Martelli for advice throughout the season first because of his experience. I remember asking him so many questions about what he has done before, and how that has gotten him here to Michigan. As time went on, I would ask him questions not just because of his experience, but because of the way he spoke to me. He understood my position on the team and gave me honest feedback about what I could do better. These candid conversations helped me learn more about my mindset, and discover how I can influence the team from my position.

This adaptation to his communication style always fascinates me. Someone as successful as Coach Martelli could easily stay set in his ways and stick to what worked in the past. His adaptation throughout the years inspires me to find the qualities of leadership that I like as well as those I don’t.

A Personal Anecdote

Recently, I reached out to Coach Martelli to ask him about his experience in coaching and to figure out why he became a coach in the first place. He told me about his experience as a younger coach trying to become the most knowledgeable coach in the game. While knowledge of the game helps, Coach Martelli emphasized to me why he continued to coach for so long. He told me “the game doesn’t discriminate”. Basketball reaches so many communities from cities to suburbs and empty parks to crowded gyms. Coach Martelli continued his career to continue to bring those communities together through basketball. The relationships that one can build in this sport last a lifetime, and Coach Martelli told me his investment in basketball has brought him the connections that make coaching worthwhile.

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