Former St. Joe’s coach Phil Martelli makes his broadcast debut as a Fox analyst

Former St. Joseph’s men’s basketball coach Phil Martelli made his debut as a TV analyst for Fox Sports in Fordham’s thrilling 57-56 road win over Seton Hall. The crowd at Walsh Gym was silenced after Fordham’s Jackie Johnson hit a buzzer-beating floater to end the game.

The noise that did fill the gym came from Fordham’s bench and play-by-play man John Fanta, a Seton Hall alum. But Martelli stayed calm and went into full-on coach mode, saying “Got to take a look … they have to take a look.”

Walsh Gym was a fitting place for Martelli to make his debut — acting as a reminder of the 3,200-seat Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse, where Martelli coached the Hawks during the team’s 2003-04 run as the nation’s top-ranked team.

In 24 seasons at the helm of the Hawks, he set the program record for wins in a season and took St. Joe’s to the postseason 13 times, and won Atlantic 10 championships in 1997, 2014, and 2016.

In terms of his broadcasting debut, it was all good reviews.