‘Our one goal is to make you proud’: Phil Martelli Jr. is officially introduced at VCU

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- The VCU Rams have entered a new era of basketball as Phil Martelli Jr. was introduced as the 14th head coach in program history on Thursday at the Siegel Center.

At the press conference, Martelli emphasized that the program belongs to the entire VCU community. "This program belongs to the entire VCU community. It does not belong to me. My job is head coach; my title is head coach, players, coaches, whatever we are. But this program belongs to all of you. This is your program. This is Richmond's program," he said, stressing the importance of collective ownership and pride.

Reflecting on taking the VCU job, Martelli expressed his excitement and described it as a dream come true. "Again, we all chase jobs, guys want this job and that job. There are certain jobs that for everybody is a little bit higher, and this is one of those names. I'm beyond thrilled to be here. When I tell you I have dreamt big dreams, I don't think I've ever dreamt big dreams. I don't know if I ever dreamed this big at a place like VCU. So hopefully that tells you about my feelings of being here."

Initial reports suggested that his father, Phil Martelli Sr., would join the staff at VCU. While the younger Martelli didn’t confirm any specifics, he did mention that his father would play an important role in some capacity. "Anywhere where I would be, he would have a role, whether it's from afar or close by. What that looks like, I don’t know yet. But whether he's officially on that website or not, he's going to have a big role because he does with me every day."

Martelli’s first task will be to rebuild the Rams’ roster, and with VCU’s resources, Athletic Director Ed McLaughlin is confident the program will make a significant impact this offseason. "To be good in our league and win championships, but be an elite program nationally, he needs the resources to do that. And between revenue sharing and our facilities and what this place is like on game night, those are the resources that you need to win," McLaughlin said.

While Martelli didn’t guarantee championships, he made it clear that his primary goal is to make the VCU community proud. "And our goal each and every day, above all else, is to make you proud, is to wake up and make you proud with our work, with our effort, and what we plan to do," Martelli said.