VCU hires Phil Martelli Jr. as new head coach

VCU filled its coaching vacancy with the hiring of Bryant coach Phil Martelli Jr. on Wednesday.Martelli went 43-25 in two seasons at Bryant and guided the Bulldogs into the NCAA Tournament this season. Bryant, a No. 15 seed, lost 87-62 to No. 2 seed Michigan State in the first round.Martelli replaces Ryan Odom, who departed to take the Virginia job after VCUโ€™s NCAA Tournament appearance. The 11th-seeded Rams (28-7) lost to sixth-seeded BYU 80-71 in the first round.Martelli, 43, said he wants to build on the success.โ€VCU has long been a dream job for me because of the high standards of excellence and national brand,โ€ Martelli said. โ€œI am excited to help carry on the legacy that has been set here and help elevate it to the next level.โ€

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