Our expectations are not to lose 20 games in years where we don't make the tourney. I think newer A10 fans see 2014 and 2016 and say "what's wrong?" when they don't look at the 6 year gap between 2008 and 2014, twenty loss seasons in 2010, 2011, and 2017, a near 20 loss season in 2015, and meltdowns in 2012 and 2013,.
We have resources that will become available with the next coach as long as there is a real vision that is promoted. Phil always says how VCU has a goal every year of going to the final four but "that's just not the way it is here" and 1) why not? and 2) then what should our goal be?
It is time. It just is. I can separate Phil the man from Phil the coach. The question is whether Phil can separate SJU the employer and SJU the institution.
Further, Saint Joseph's basketball was around and successful for a lot longer than Phil has been there. I know that some, especially those newer to the league, think Phil turned a turd into something that was better than a turd, but they just don't know. And yes the landscape has changed but I assure that we have resources that do not want to give to this vision, which doesn't exist.
Ive been on record saying I love Phil. Phil has been one of the best ambassadors the A10 has ever had. He always goes out of his way to talk graciously about other teams and coaches in the league and is just a very personable and likeable guy. He IS St. Joe basketball the way Speedy Morris became LaSalle basketball.
Phil can also recruit. He probably finds more diamonds in the rough and hidden gems than anybody else ever did in this league sans John Chaney. Phil's style has always leveraged experienced teams and teams where 1-2 guys were Rolls Royce players. He had a couple teams in the Pat Carroll era I think that were pretty balanced and could hurt you 5-6 different ways, but for the most part Phil has a kid or two that mostly run the show and are among the best in the A10. Whether its Galloway or Brown or Dwayne Jones or Jameer, his teams usually have a guy who's "the man". UMass has taken on this same personality over the last 20yrs too going back to Monte Mack.
But I think this identity has become part of the frustration with Hawk fans. Phil, for whatever reasons, seems to always defy preseason expectations. When everyone thinks the Hawks can and should contend for big things, they fall terribly short. In some of those seasons that lost 20 games and it was inexplicable. Yet in years where SJU is picked to do a lot of nothing, Martelli has cobbled together teams that rise up and play beyond their years, beyond anyone's grandest expectations. This roller coaster is what wears thin with SJU fans every year. You never know what team Phil is going to give you even when you are all but convinced you think you have it figured out. He can take his most talented teams and run them into an oncoming train, then in 9 months take the scraps everyone thinks has no immediate future and get them into the NCAA at-large discussion.
Maybe Phil just prefers being the underdog all the time. When he has a team to beat, it usually doesnt end well.
I think the one difference between SJU and UMass is (other than overall success the last 20yrs) is when SJU is mediocre in any single season they are usually mediocre every night. But when UMass is mediocre, they are Michigan State one night and Michigan Tech the next. The average results in mediocre.
I think Phil has and deserves tenure. Hes has to deal with some injuries the last few years. But all A10 teams have so his situation was not worse than some others (like guys actually dying). Phil needs to self-evaluate a bit more however and maybe look to his staff to figure out why the roller coaster is a program trait. Phila has enough talented HS kids that SJU should always be good even if Nova and Temple get first dibs. I think Phil needs to do a better job of assembling more complimentary pieces. Too often his teams seem overloaded with 2-3 legit studs and then everyone else is just ornamental. Some better balance even if it means he doesnt have an A10 POY type guy on the team every year might pay better dividends.
FWIW, Dayton has never had an A10 POY. You probably one need one to get to a Final Four (Nelson).