Phil Martelli steers Michigan to win over Rutgers

Judy Martelli doesn’t count the days her husband coaches as days they’ve been married. His mental process of coaching is just too intense for them to share.

And when Phil Martelli coached the Michigan men’s basketball team to a 71-62 win over Rutgers on Wednesday, she had to skip over one more day.

“All day today, I’ve realized (I was back), and the way I knew it is my stomach was a mess,” Martelli said “… It dissipates only at one moment in time: when I walk out of the tunnel here, when I walk on the court, because at that point in time, I’ll be honest with you, the work is done.”

Work in the form of an uphill battle. With Michigan coach Juwan Howard suspended the rest of the season and players Moussa Diabate and Terrance Williams II out for a game, the Wolverines were left picking up the pieces during a make-or-break stretch.

But despite those implications, Martelli’s impact on the Wolverines’ win became evident as the game wore on. He provided a steadying force that utilized Michigan’s individual pieces — both players and coaches — to their full extent.