PITTSBURGH (93.7 the Fan) University of Pittsburgh Athletics announced on Friday that Jeff Capel will be returning to the Pitt Men's Basketball team for another season.
It was announced by Pitt's director of Athletics, Heather Lyke and stated both she and Capel have great expectations for the basketball program.
"We discussed the path forward for success for this program," Lyke said in a release. "We are committed to Jeff Capel as out head coach and leader of our team."
The Panthers' season recently came to an end with a whimper, losing by 20 points in the opening round of the ACC Championship Tournament.
Pitt finished the year with an overall record of 11-21 and a 6-14 conference record.
Since taking over as Panthers head coach four seasons ago, their record has reached 51-69 overall and 21-53 in conference play.
Capel himself also released a statement regarding the state of the team.
"While I had hoped to have been further along as a program at this point, I remain confident that we will make the adjustments necessary to get there. There is no substitute for hard work."
The Panthers 2021-22 record of 11-21 and 6-14 is their second-worst win percentage since 1977.
Regardless of coaching decision this offseason, Capel has a contract that lasts through the 2026-27 season.
A prohibitive buyout of Capel would cost reportedly between $15-$17 million.
"We have the opportunity to turn things around quickly by attacking every aspect of the offseason from player development to recruiting to playing style and coaching philosophy."
