Phil Martelli deflects the spotlight in first win as Michigan head coach following Juwan Howard suspension

Assistant coach turned acting head coach, Phil Martelli, had his work cut out for him following the scuffle between the Michigan Wolverines and Wisconsin Badgers. His mission, to find ways to fill the gap left by Juwan Howard and Moussa Diabate, started with Brandon Johns. And he did just that in the Wolverines’ 71-62 victory over Rutgers on Wednesday.

After the game, in the postgame press conference, instead of basking in the victory, Martelli took a much more subtle approach.

“The biggest deal was, what we wanted to do was play hard, play smart and play together,” he said. “And what we asked each guy to do was to be able to look in the mirror and say, ‘I gave my very best.’ If we were short, then we were short. But we were going to give everything that we had. Everybody. Support staff, managers, coaches, and those players. Magnificent performance.”

Not only did he dish out credit to everyone who took part in the victory for the Wolverines, but Martelli also used that moment to highlight and praise two other assistant coaches on Michigan’s bench: Saddi Washington and Howard Eisley.

“Well, and much respect to the players, everything that they did. But Saddi Washington and Howard Eisley. America needs to know their names,” he added. “They are ready to be head coaches, and they did this, not me. They did it.”

Martelli, who formerly served as the head coach at St. Joe’s, will be leading a program for the first time since 2019, after being named the Wolverines’ acting head coach while Howard serves his suspension.

Howard, of course, was suspended for the remainder of the regular season for his postgame scuffle following Michigan’s loss to Wisconsin on Sunday.

Martelli on Howard’s mindset following suspension

When asked if he will have verbal contact with Howard throughout his time as acting head coach, Martelli answered simply, “yes.”

“Juwan is my friend,” Martelli said. “I feel tremendously responsible to my friends to make sure they’re doing well. … Juwan is very remorseful, and today is a little better than yesterday.”

Martelli was also asked what Howard’s immediate reaction was following Sunday’s scuffle.

“(Howard) did not speak to the players on Sunday (immediately after the game),” Martelli said. “It was a very heartfelt text exchange very late at night on Sunday.”