Sixers assistant Billy Lange to interview for St. Joe’s head-coaching job

ORLANDO — Billy Lange, assistant coach for the 76ers, will interview for the St. Joseph’s head-coaching job, sources said.

Lange is expected to interview as early as Tuesday. The Sixers returned to Philadelphia in the early hours Tuesday after Monday night’s setback to the Magic here at the Amway Center.

Lange would give the Hawks a coach with NBA and college coaching experience. St. Joe’s fired Phil Martelli last week. He had been the team’s head coach since 1995.

Lange is in his sixth season with the Sixers. This is the first year he has been in charge of the team’s defense. The Haddon Heights native and Bishop Eustace grad was Villanova’s associate head coach for two seasons before joining the Sixers. Before his second assistant-coaching stint at Villanova, Lange was Navy’s head coach for seven years.

His other coaching stops were at Eustace (head coach), Philadelphia University (assistant), La Salle (assistant), and the U.S. Merchant Marines Academy (head coach).

Martelli was the national coach of the year in 2004. He won that award after leading the Hawks to an undefeated regular season and the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament.