PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – With a lot of talk swirling about his future, Pitt athletic director Allen Greene sent out a letter Friday afternoon explaining why he is sticking with basketball coach Jeff Capel.
“Over the past several months, I have spent a great deal of time evaluating every aspect of our men's basketball program,” Greene said in his statement. “That process included conversations with Coach Capel, a review of our staff and our roster, our program structure and the transfer portal landscape as well as our investment in the program. I consulted with University leadership to ensure we continue to be aligned with our expectations for the program.”
“After that comprehensive evaluation, I have made the decision that Jeff Capel will continue to lead our men's basketball program. I believe our best path forward is leadership continuity paired with clear expectations and a willingness to evolve.”
Capel is coming off an injury-filled 13-20 season and is 127-127 overall in his career at Pitt. Greene said it wasn’t a simple decision and then elaborated.
“To be blunt, this season fell well short of our expectations,” Greene said. “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, and I am sure you feel the same way.”
“At the same time, our student-athletes continued to compete with effort, pride and resilience through a difficult season. 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. And you know it. Jeff and I will continue to examine every aspect of the program and will make the necessary changes.”
“Over the last 10 months, we have taken important steps to modernize our program. We hired a men's basketball general manager who has been evaluating our current roster and strengthening our approach to talent evaluation, roster construction and transfer portal strategy.”
“In today's college basketball landscape, teams that win in March are typically anchored by players with maturity and toughness. Building a roster with those characteristics will be a central priority moving forward.”
“Our focus turns to welcoming a highly regarded recruiting class, retaining key contributors and strategically using the transfer portal to add experience and balance.”
Greene confirms that they spent to the NIL limit, but said the programs that thrive are the ones that create ‘above-the-cap’ NIL.
“When Pitt Athletics succeeds, it reflects the pride, resilience and competitive spirit of this city,” Greene concluded. “Our fans should expect a program that reflects those same qualities. Our goal is building a team capable of competing for championships and representing Pitt in a way that makes this community proud.”