Former St. Joseph’s coach Phil Martelli was honored recently at a Philadelphia Legacies Portrait and Community Awards Event with a banner that read, “Welcome Home, Phil.”

Martelli returned to his Philly roots following the 2023-24 season after spending five years in Ann Arbor as associate head coach for the Michigan men’s basketball team, writes Mia Messina for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

And he was welcomed back with open arms.

In his Philadelphia Legacies portrait he’s surrounded by other St. Joseph’s basketball figureheads acknowledging the seven NBA head coaches St. Joseph’s has produced. Martelli himself had 24 seasons as the Hawks’ head coach.

In the portrait, Martelli is joined by Jameer Nelson and Delonte West as he holds a basketball reading “27-0”, representing the Hawks’ 2003-04 season.

“I was being honored on the backs of so many people that were in that portrait and that were in that room,” said Martelli, 70.

Relationships was the theme of Martelli’s speech that night, relationships he continues to foster.

“It wasn’t easy to leave Philadelphia, but when I had in my hand the texts that ended with ‘love you,’ ‘here for you,’ it’s now my turn to return that love,” Martelli said.

Read more about the tribute to Phil Martelli in The Philadelphia Inquirer.