Duke basketball cognoscenti are a little shaken...by Pitt. By Pitt? This is all from Duke oriented folk:
In a stunning bit of news late Tuesday morning, word broke that Duke's chief assistant coach, Jeff Capel, will sign a 7-year contract to become the new head coach at Pittsburgh.
Many pundits had long assumed that Capel would step in as head coach at Duke once 71-year-old Mike Krzyzewski retired.
Travlo Freshcobar
Travlo Freshcobar
@Dedinasaur
Pretty interesting to see Jeff Capel take the Pitt job one year after he was tabbed the heir apparent to Coach K at Duke.
Capel has worked at Duke since 2011, and has been a big part of some of the Blue Devils' biggest recruiting classes since that time. Prior to coming to Durham, Capel was head coach at Oklahoma from 2006-11.
National high school basketball analyst Corey Evans thinks it's a home run hire for Pittsburgh, which fired Kevin Stallings after two seasons. Stallings was 0-19 in ACC play in 2017-18.
Corey Evans
Corey Evans
@coreyevans_10
Jeff Capel it is for Pitt. Turned down a number of jobs in the past. Has become known as one of more vaunted recruiters in recent years. If they were going to hit the assistant coaching front for a head coach, couldn’t have done better than Capel
11:55 AM · Mar 27, 2018
LeLakeShow 🐏🏀🏆
LeLakeShow 🐏🏀🏆
@LBrothersMedia
Jeff Capel going to Pitt???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Even as a #UNC fan this is a total shock to me.
Embedded video
12:26 PM · Mar 27, 2018
And just like that Pitt changes the narrative about its program. Jeff Capel is a home run hire. That's the best way to make folks forget the Kevin Stallings era. Bring in a capable coach like Capel.
12:06 PM · Mar 27, 2018
https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/acc/article206974204.html#storylink=cpy
A big loss for Duke as associate head coach Jeff Capel takes Pitt job
Capel's departure is a huge loss for Duke. He has been the associate head coach at Duke since 2011.
Capel, 43, was Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski's lead recruiter on the staff. Duke has had the No. 1 recruiting class four of the past five years (2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018). He has helped secure commitments from 19 McDonald's All-Americans.
www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/acc/duke/duke-now/article206971179.html#storylink=cpy
Jeff Capel Update: Excitement Building At Pitt
Capel has brought a tremendous jolt to the Pitt program
We usually don’t link to stories this old but in this case we’ll make an exception: it’s about how former Duke assistant Jeff Capel has breathed life into the Pitt program since his surprise hire after
the season.
He’s recruited far better than expected given the situation and ticket sales are up. The program has a pulse again and one guy is primarily responsible and that’s Capel.
https://www.dukebasketballreport.com/2018/7/5/17535696/jeff-capel-update-excitement-building-at-pitt-duke-basketball
And this is the outside article DBR doesn't "usually" link to is from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Kevin Stallings left a mess at Pitt. Jeff Capel has worked a minor miracle.
I realize Jeff Capel has yet to coach a game here, but I’m sorry: I don’t think enough has been made of the man’s 2018 recruiting class.
I don’t think enough could be made of it.
Against all odds, Capel has cobbled together a noteworthy class that one respected site (247Sports) ranks 35th in the country and sixth in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
It is the Panthers’ best recruiting class in five years. It is also a minor miracle.
...
Then along came Capel, 43, who immediately lit Petersen Events Center like a pinball machine and went to work, armed with three visits and about two minutes to form his first class.
It’s almost ridiculous how it came together.
One four-star recruit (Trey McGowens) chose Pitt sight-unseen and reclassified to become eligible this coming season. Another four-star (Au’Diese Toney) also reclassified.
A highly regarded combo guard named Xavier Johnson paid for his own visit after decommitting from Nebraska.
It ain’t the Fab Five (or the Fab Three) but given the circumstances, it’s quite remarkable in its own right. Throw in defensive specialist Sidy N’Dir, a graduate transfer from New Mexico State, and you’ll find that nobody is laughing at Pitt anymore.
The enthusiasm, in fact, is palpable. And measurable.
A source within the Pitt athletic department told me Thursday that Pitt has seen increases in season-ticket early renewals and new season-ticket sales, pumping half a million dollars of increased revenue into the coffers. Suites and courtside seating are sold out.
Pittsburgh Paper
H2P
In a stunning bit of news late Tuesday morning, word broke that Duke's chief assistant coach, Jeff Capel, will sign a 7-year contract to become the new head coach at Pittsburgh.
Many pundits had long assumed that Capel would step in as head coach at Duke once 71-year-old Mike Krzyzewski retired.
Travlo Freshcobar
Travlo Freshcobar
@Dedinasaur
Pretty interesting to see Jeff Capel take the Pitt job one year after he was tabbed the heir apparent to Coach K at Duke.
Capel has worked at Duke since 2011, and has been a big part of some of the Blue Devils' biggest recruiting classes since that time. Prior to coming to Durham, Capel was head coach at Oklahoma from 2006-11.
National high school basketball analyst Corey Evans thinks it's a home run hire for Pittsburgh, which fired Kevin Stallings after two seasons. Stallings was 0-19 in ACC play in 2017-18.
Corey Evans
Corey Evans
@coreyevans_10
Jeff Capel it is for Pitt. Turned down a number of jobs in the past. Has become known as one of more vaunted recruiters in recent years. If they were going to hit the assistant coaching front for a head coach, couldn’t have done better than Capel
11:55 AM · Mar 27, 2018
LeLakeShow 🐏🏀🏆
LeLakeShow 🐏🏀🏆
@LBrothersMedia
Jeff Capel going to Pitt???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Even as a #UNC fan this is a total shock to me.
Embedded video
12:26 PM · Mar 27, 2018
And just like that Pitt changes the narrative about its program. Jeff Capel is a home run hire. That's the best way to make folks forget the Kevin Stallings era. Bring in a capable coach like Capel.
12:06 PM · Mar 27, 2018
https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/acc/article206974204.html#storylink=cpy
A big loss for Duke as associate head coach Jeff Capel takes Pitt job
Capel's departure is a huge loss for Duke. He has been the associate head coach at Duke since 2011.
Capel, 43, was Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski's lead recruiter on the staff. Duke has had the No. 1 recruiting class four of the past five years (2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018). He has helped secure commitments from 19 McDonald's All-Americans.
www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/acc/duke/duke-now/article206971179.html#storylink=cpy
Jeff Capel Update: Excitement Building At Pitt
Capel has brought a tremendous jolt to the Pitt program
We usually don’t link to stories this old but in this case we’ll make an exception: it’s about how former Duke assistant Jeff Capel has breathed life into the Pitt program since his surprise hire after
the season.
He’s recruited far better than expected given the situation and ticket sales are up. The program has a pulse again and one guy is primarily responsible and that’s Capel.
https://www.dukebasketballreport.com/2018/7/5/17535696/jeff-capel-update-excitement-building-at-pitt-duke-basketball
And this is the outside article DBR doesn't "usually" link to is from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Kevin Stallings left a mess at Pitt. Jeff Capel has worked a minor miracle.
I realize Jeff Capel has yet to coach a game here, but I’m sorry: I don’t think enough has been made of the man’s 2018 recruiting class.
I don’t think enough could be made of it.
Against all odds, Capel has cobbled together a noteworthy class that one respected site (247Sports) ranks 35th in the country and sixth in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
It is the Panthers’ best recruiting class in five years. It is also a minor miracle.
...
Then along came Capel, 43, who immediately lit Petersen Events Center like a pinball machine and went to work, armed with three visits and about two minutes to form his first class.
It’s almost ridiculous how it came together.
One four-star recruit (Trey McGowens) chose Pitt sight-unseen and reclassified to become eligible this coming season. Another four-star (Au’Diese Toney) also reclassified.
A highly regarded combo guard named Xavier Johnson paid for his own visit after decommitting from Nebraska.
It ain’t the Fab Five (or the Fab Three) but given the circumstances, it’s quite remarkable in its own right. Throw in defensive specialist Sidy N’Dir, a graduate transfer from New Mexico State, and you’ll find that nobody is laughing at Pitt anymore.
The enthusiasm, in fact, is palpable. And measurable.
A source within the Pitt athletic department told me Thursday that Pitt has seen increases in season-ticket early renewals and new season-ticket sales, pumping half a million dollars of increased revenue into the coffers. Suites and courtside seating are sold out.
Pittsburgh Paper
H2P
