Penn State basketball set for staff changes; Nittany Lions welcoming back program legend Talor Battle
Penn State basketball assistant coach Jimmy Martelli is leaving the staff after two seasons, Blue-White Illustrated has confirmed. Martelli arrived with head coach Mike Rhoades when Rhoades moved over from VCU in 2023. Martelli was originally announced as the team’s Director of Basketball Operations, but quickly moved to the bench when assistant J.D. Byers accepted a position at Virginia Tech. Martelli’s older brother, Phil Martelli Jr., was hired as VCU’s head coach last week.
With a vacant spot, Penn State has turned to a familiar face to fill the role. Blue White Illustrated has learned that former Nittany Lions point guard Talor Battle has accepted a spot on Rhoades’ staff. Battle was at Ohio State for the 2024-2025 season after spending three years at Northwestern under Chris Collins. The Wildcats made the NCAA Tournament in Battle’s final season in Evanston.
“He is elite at player development, which is evident by the success Northwestern has had the past couple of seasons,” Ohio State head coach Jake Diebler said of Battle upon his hiring. “He has the ability to recruit at a high level and knows what it takes to be successful in this conference. I’ve known Talor for quite a while and I’m looking forward to working alongside him as we take the next step as a program.”
Battle an all-time great at Penn State
Battle is Penn State’s all-time leading scorer with 2,213 career points and he was a three-time captain for the Nittany Lions. He earned honorable mention All-American status from the AP as a senior in 2011 and helped lead Penn State to the 2009 NIT Championship. He twice earned All-Big Ten First-Team honors and led the Nittany Lions to an NCAA Tournament berth in 2011.
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After securing his Penn State degree in 2011, Battle spent seven years playing professionally overseas. He got into coaching in 2020 when he returned to Happy Valley for one season under Pat Chambers. He initially accepted a position under Micah Shrewsberry before taking a job at Northwestern.
State College has always held a special place for Battle.
“[Penn State] played a huge role in my life,” Battle said during an in-house interview with Northwestern Athletics ahead of his first game back in Happy Valley. “Shaped me, coming from 18-years-old to 22-years-old. Moving back here for a year with my family, being a coach on this staff, I’ve got so many friends and good people who I remember seeing when I was a player, when I was a coach, to being neighbors with them. Then just all the people who helped me, this faculty and staff.”
In Rhoades’ second year at Penn State, the Nittany Lions stumbled in the Big Ten and finished with a 16-15 overall record.
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