Despite a season that fell “well short” of expectations, Jeff Capel will return for a ninth season as head coach at Pitt.
Panthers athletic director Allen Greene made the announcement Friday in a letter to Panther Nation after “evaluating every aspect” of the men’s basketball program.
“To be blunt, this season fell well short of our expectations,” Green wrote. “Our level of investment in this year’s team was sufficient enough for us to reach the NCAA Tournament at a minimum. Simply fighting to qualify for the ACC Tournament is not good enough.”
The Panthers finished 13-20 overall this season and just 5-13 in ACC regular-season play. Their season came to an unceremonious end Wednesday night with a 98-88 loss to NC State in the second round of the conference tournament.
“Our student-athletes continued to compete with effort, pride and resilience through a difficult season,” Green added. “They fought until the end and represented this University with toughness. Effort alone is not enough. We must be better going forward. I know it. Jeff knows it.
“I believe our best path forward is leadership continuity paired with clear expectations and a willingness to evolve.”
Capel is 127-127 in eight seasons as head coach at Pitt with just one NCAA tournament appearance (2023) to his credit. He garnered ACC Coach of the Year honors that same season after leading the Panthers to a 21-10 regular-season record (14-6 in conference play).
Capel is under contract through the 2029-30 season after signing an extension in 2024.
“In today’s college basketball landscape, teams that win in March are typically anchored by players with maturity and toughness,” Greene said. “Building a roster with those characteristics will be a central priority moving forward.”
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