Bryant coach Jared Grasso taking leave of absence from program

Bryant men’s basketball coach Jared Grasso is taking a leave of absence from the program, a school spokesperson told ESPN on Friday.

Associate head coach Phil Martelli Jr. will serve as the acting head coach during Grasso’s absence.

No further details were provided.

Grasso, 43, emerged as one of the hottest mid-major coaches in the country over the past few seasons. After eight years as an assistant coach under Tim Cluess at Iona, where he established himself as an adept recruiter, Grasso took over at Bryant in 2018.

With a roster-building strategy heavy on transfers, Grasso led the Bulldogs to an NCAA tournament bid and NEC regular-season and conference tournament titles in 2022. Bryant also finished second in the NEC in 2021.

Martelli Jr. taking over as acting head coach comes just two weeks after his father, Phil Martelli Sr., was announced as Michigan’s interim head coach while Juwan Howard recovers from a heart procedure.

Bryant opens its season on Nov. 6 at home against Dartmouth.