VCU Men’s Basketball Head Coach Phil Martelli Jr. has agreed to a contract extension through the 2031-32 season, Vice President and Director of Athletics Ed McLaughlin announced Monday.
The new contract adds two seasons to the pact Martelli signed when he arrived last March.
“Coach Martelli showed all season that he embodies the leadership qualities we want in our head men’s basketball coach,” McLaughlin said. “He made history in his first season by winning the Atlantic 10 Championship and an NCAA Tournament game and continued the standard of excellence that we have created and come to expect. I want to ensure we keep Coach Martelli and give him the opportunity to build on the amazing foundation we have solidified at VCU with three A-10 Championships in the last four years and appearances in 12 of the past 15 NCAA Tournaments.”
Martelli’s new deal comes on the heels of a 28-8 season that saw VCU capture a share of the Atlantic 10 Conference regular season title, as well as the league’s tournament championship. On Thursday, the first-year VCU coach steered the Rams to an 82-78 overtime victory over North Carolina in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament, the program’s first “March Madness” triumph since 2016. VCU’s 28 wins this season are tied for the second-most in school history, as well as tied for the most-ever by a first-year Rams coach.
“Thank you to Dr. Rao and Ed McLaughlin for their continued support and vision for VCU Men’s Basketball,” Martelli said. “I am grateful to the players and the staff who believed in the vision and worked tirelessly to ensure its continued success. We are very fortunate to be at such a storied program and look forward to continuing our short- and long-term pursuit of adding to its rich legacy. Go Rams!”
Prior to VCU, Martelli spent two seasons as head coach at Bryant, where he led the Bulldogs to a 2025 America East Championship and NCAA Tournament berth. He is 71-33 in three seasons as a head coach. His teams have won at least 20 games every season, and he’s 40-10 in conference contests.
McLaughlin added that he and Martelli will continue to pursue opportunities to grow and strengthen the foundation of the VCU Men’s Basketball program.
“Coach Martelli and I will meet this week to discuss our season and any changes we need to make this offseason. The head coach and I do a debrief after every season to figure out what we need to do operationally to keep our program at the top of the class nationally. Our focus will remain on enhancing our infrastructure so we can retain our student-athletes and continue their development process as athletes and young men.”
Martelli inks contract extension at VCU
