Call with Juwan Howard 'changed the equation' for Phil Martelli

Phil Martelli (Photo: Laurence Kesterson, Associated Press)When Phil Martelli’s 34-year run at Saint Joseph’s came to an end in March, he knew he wanted to keep coaching.

He started making calls and looking at different opportunities. One of his friends gave him a piece of advice while he searched for what to do next: Don’t rush and don’t settle but when an opportunity grabs your heart, you’ll know.

Over the next seven weeks, Martelli mulled an array of avenues from coaching overseas to broadcasting to mentoring younger coaches, but none of them tugged at him.

That all changed when Martelli spoke with Michigan coach Juwan Howard on May 20, two days before Howard agreed to a five-year deal with…