The University of Pittsburgh announced a three-year contract extension for men’s head basketball coach Jeff Capel on Wednesday afternoon. The figures for the deal were not disclosed, but the extension will keep him with the program through the end off the 2029-30 season.
“The University of Pittsburgh continues to have outstanding leadership under Chancellor Joan Gabel and Director of Athletics Heather Lyke,” Capel said in a press release. “I am appreciative of the support they have provided me and my staff as we continue to build a Pitt Men’s Basketball program that competes for championships on a conference and national level annually. Pittsburgh is a terrific sports town full of amazing people and we are grateful for the continued support of so many passionate fans. We will continue to give one hundred percent of ourselves as we represent Pitt on the court, in the classroom and in the community."
Capel has been on the job at Pitt since the 2018 and has amassed a 97-92 record in six seasons. After struggling to break through in his first four years, Capel turned things around with the 2022-23 campaign. He guided Pitt to a 24-12 record and produced Pitt’s first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2016. For his efforts that year, Capel was named the ACC Coach of the Year.
This past season was a step back, as the team failed to reach the NCAA Tournament. Despite the sour end to the season, Pitt seemingly found something as a team and nearly willed themselves into the tournament. Pitt ended the year going 12-4 over its final 16 contests.
In the end, the Panthers produced a 22-win season, a second consecutive top five finish in the conference, and were one of the first four teams left out of the tournament field, with many advocating for the Panthers to be in the big dance.
Under Capel’s watch over the past two seasons, Pitt has placed two players to first team All-ACC status. Jamarius Burton garnered those honors in 2023, while Blake Hinson earned that recognition this past season. Last month, Pitt also produced its first NBA Draft pick under Capel and also the first since 2014, when Bub Carrington was selected 13th overall by the Washington Wizards.
While things have trended upward lately for Capel and the program, his first four seasons were challenging as he was trying to flip Pitt from the bottom of the ACC. During that time, some speculated whether or not he would reach the end of his contract.
In Capel's first four seasons, Pitt had a total of 21 conference wins. For perspective, the Panthers have 26 of those over the past two years. During those trying times, Pitt Director of Athletics, Heather Lyke, who hired Capel initially, stuck out the rough stretch. The patience paid off with back-to-back 20 win seasons for the program.
“When Coach Capel initially arrived at Pitt in 2018, he was tasked with one of the most difficult rebuilding jobs in all of college basketball,” Lyke said in the release from Pitt. “Jeff fully embraced that challenge from the outset and never wavered from his lofty vision for our players and program. Brick-by-brick, he built a rock-solid foundation that has Pitt basketball poised for a championship future. Jeff is an outstanding leader well beyond the court and we are highly fortunate to have him representing the University of Pittsburgh. I’m incredibly pleased to announce this extension of his contract and look forward to the continued ascendance of Pitt basketball under his direction.”
Pitt will look to return to the NCAA Tournament this upcoming season. The Panthers bring back a strong core led by guards Jaland Lowe and Ishmael Leggett. Capel added a promising group of newcomers led by transfers Cam Corhen and Damian Dunn and freshmen Brandin Cummings and Amsal Delalic.
