Bryant University Names New Men's Basketball Head Coach

NORTH SMITHFIELD, RI — Bryant University named its new men's basketball head coach Wednesday, days after former head coach Jared Grasso announced his decision to resign.

Phil Martelli, Jr., who had spent the past three years as the associate head coach and served as acting head coach during Grasso's leave of absence earlier this year, has officially stepped into the coveted head coach position, school officials said in a news release.

"As Associate Head Coach, [Martelli] was instrumental in building Bryant Basketball into one of the top mid-major programs in the country," the school's Vice President of Athletics & Recreation Bill Smith said in the news release. "With Phil’s skills, values, and commitment, the future of Bryant basketball is in good hands."

During the five years he has already spent at Bryant, Martelli helped the team win 79 games, Northeast Conference regular season and tournament championships, and a trip to the 2022 NCAA Tournament, the university noted.

Martelli’s first game as head coach—the ninth men's basketball coach in Bryant's history—is Thursday, when the Black and Gold play at Boston University.

Grasso decided he was taking a leave of absence from the team in September, ESPN reported. He finally announced his resignation in a lengthy statement on X Monday, just days after charges were dropped after he was accused of causing a car crash last month.

"My role as a father and husband is everything to me," Grasso wrote. "The rigors of a coach’s lifestyle and 3 young children can make that extremely challenging. My mental and physical health must come first at this time."

Misdemeanor charges against Grasso, who was accused of failing to stop in an accident resulting in damage to a vehicle Oct. 1, were dismissed Nov. 7, his lawyer told WPRI. The reason for the dismissal was not stated.