Phil Martelli and Saint Joseph’s end 7-year estrangement

PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Phil Martelli raised a clipped net in the air as he celebrated in a throwback photo on a social media post that wished the former Saint Joseph's coach a happy birthday.

Key points

• There is a tradition at Saint Joseph's for fans to cheer, "The Hawk Will Never Die!"
• Turns out, neither did the idea that Martelli and the Hawks could find harmony again on Hawk Hill.
• Even the new athletic director sent Martelli birthday wishes in the August post.
• Martelli was happy to reciprocate with social media photos this month after he created his first formal visit since the professional divorce with Saint Joseph's.
• It seemed like a nice enough gesture toward Martelli from his former school.

What it was, to those who followed the bitter public split that ensued when Saint Joseph's fired Martelli in 2019 after 34 seasons at the school, was the first sign of a public olive branch that perhaps the acrimonious relationship was starting to thaw.

Taken together, the developments around phil Martelli and Saint Josephs end 7 point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.