Jeff Capel III facts for kids
.png)
Capel as assistant coach at Duke (2011)
|
|
| Current position | |
|---|---|
| Title | Head coach |
| Team | Pittsburgh |
| Conference | ACC |
| Record | 114–107 (.516) |
| Biographical details | |
| Born | February 12, 1975 Fayetteville, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Duke University |
| Playing career | |
| 1993–1997 | Duke |
| 1997–1998 | Grand Rapids Hoops |
| 1999 | Élan Chalon |
| 1999–2000 | Grand Rapids Hoops |
| Position(s) | Guard |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 2000–2001 | Old Dominion (assistant) |
| 2001–2002 | VCU (assistant) |
| 2002–2006 | VCU |
| 2006–2011 | Oklahoma |
| 2011–2018 | Duke (asst./assoc. HC) |
| 2018–present | Pittsburgh |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 276–217 (.560) |
| Tournaments | 6–4 (NCAA Division I) 0–1 (NIT) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| CAA tournament (2004) CAA regular season (2004) |
|
| Awards | |
| CBA All-Rookie Team (1998) Third-team All-ACC (1996) North Carolina Mr. Basketball (1993) ACC Coach of the Year (2023) |
|
Jeff Capel III (born February 12, 1975) is an American college basketball coach and former player. He is currently the head coach for the men's basketball team at the University of Pittsburgh. Capel also played for Duke University and was a head coach at Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Oklahoma.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Jeff Capel comes from a family deeply involved in basketball. His father, Jeff Capel II, was a basketball coach. His younger brother, Jason Capel, played basketball at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
As a senior at South View High School in Hope Mills, North Carolina, Jeff led his team to a state championship in 1993. They won a close game, 53–52, with a last-second shot. He set school records for points (2,066), rebounds (668), and assists (663).
College Basketball Career
Jeff Capel played basketball at Duke University from 1993 to 1997. He became a starting guard in his first year and kept that role for all four years.
One of his most famous moments happened on February 2, 1995. In a game against UNC, Duke was losing by three points in overtime. Capel made an amazing 40-foot shot at the buzzer, sending the game into double overtime. Even though Duke lost the game, his shot is remembered as one of the best plays in Duke basketball history.
During his time at Duke, Capel scored 1,601 points, made 433 assists, and hit 220 three-point shots. He finished his college career among Duke's top 10 players in several categories.
Professional Playing Career
After graduating from Duke, Capel played professional basketball. He played for the Grand Rapids Hoops in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA). In the 1997-98 season, he averaged 11.9 points per game and was named to the CBA All-Rookie Team. In 1999, he also played a few games in France for Élan Chalon.
Coaching Journey
Starting at VCU
Capel began his coaching career as an assistant coach at Old Dominion University in 2000, working under his father. In 2001, he moved to Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) as an assistant.
In 2002, at just 27 years old, he became the head coach of the Rams. This made him the youngest head coach in Division I men's college basketball at the time. During his four years at VCU, Capel led the Rams to 79 wins, which was a record for the program.
In the 2003–04 season, he guided the Rams to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1996. He was named the state's Coach of the Year for this achievement.
Coaching at Oklahoma
On April 11, 2006, Capel became the head coach of the Oklahoma men's basketball team.
First Seasons at Oklahoma
In his first year (2006–07), the Sooners finished with 16 wins and 15 losses. They missed the postseason, ending a long streak of 23 years for the program.
The next year (2007–08), with new player Blake Griffin, the team improved. They finished with 21 wins and made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Success with Blake Griffin
The 2008–09 season was very promising. Blake Griffin returned, and the team had one of its best starts ever, winning 25 of their first 26 games.
The Sooners earned a #2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. They won their first three games, beating teams like Morgan State, Michigan, and Syracuse. However, they lost to North Carolina in the Elite Eight. After the season, Blake Griffin was chosen as the #1 pick in the NBA draft.
Challenges and Departure
The 2009–10 season was tough for the Sooners. Injuries and other issues led to a losing record of 13–18. All 13 wins were later removed from the record due to a player not being eligible to play. This was the first losing season for Oklahoma basketball since 1981.
In 2011, after another difficult season, Capel was no longer the coach at Oklahoma. The university later confirmed that some rules were broken during the 2009–10 season, but Capel was not involved in those violations.
Return to Duke University
On May 8, 2011, Jeff Capel joined the coaching staff at his old school, Duke University, as an assistant coach under Mike Krzyzewski. In 2014, he was promoted to associate head coach.
Capel even stepped in as head coach for Duke in a few games when Coach Krzyzewski was ill. He led Duke to victories in those games.
Leading Pittsburgh
On March 27, 2018, the University of Pittsburgh hired Jeff Capel as the head coach for their men's basketball team. He took over a team that had a tough season before he arrived.
On March 6, 2023, Jeff Capel was named the Atlantic Coast Conference men's basketball Coach of the Year. He led Pitt to a strong 21–10 record with 14 wins in their conference.
Broadcasting Work
During the 2019 NCAA Tournament, Capel worked as a guest TV analyst for CBS and Turner. He helped cover the first round of the tournament.
Personal Life
Jeff Capel is married to Kanika Réale Blue. They got married in 2003 and have three children.
Coaching Records
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VCU Rams (Colonial Athletic Association) (2002–2006) | |||||||||
| 2002–03 | VCU | 18–10 | 12–6 | T–2nd | |||||
| 2003–04 | VCU | 23–8 | 14–4 | 1st | NCAA Division I Round of 64 | ||||
| 2004–05 | VCU | 19–13 | 13–5 | T–2nd | NIT Opening Round | ||||
| 2005–06 | VCU | 19–10 | 11–7 | 5th | |||||
| VCU: | 79–41 (.658) | 50–22 (.694) | |||||||
| Oklahoma Sooners (Big 12 Conference) (2006–2011) | |||||||||
| 2006–07 | Oklahoma | 16–15 | 6–10 | T–7th | |||||
| 2007–08 | Oklahoma | 23–12 | 9–7 | T–4th | NCAA Division I Round of 32 | ||||
| 2008–09 | Oklahoma | 30–6 | 13–3 | 2nd | NCAA Division I Elite Eight | ||||
| 2009–10 | Oklahoma | 13–18* | 4–12* | T–11th | |||||
| 2010–11 | Oklahoma | 14–18 | 5–11 | 8th | |||||
| Oklahoma: | 83–69 (.546)* | 33–43 (.434)* | |||||||
| Pittsburgh Panthers (Atlantic Coast Conference) (2018–present) | |||||||||
| 2018–19 | Pittsburgh | 14–19 | 3–15 | T–14th | |||||
| 2019–20 | Pittsburgh | 16–17 | 6–14 | T–13th | |||||
| 2020–21 | Pittsburgh | 10–12 | 6–10 | 12th | |||||
| 2021–22 | Pittsburgh | 11–21 | 6–14 | T–11th | |||||
| 2022–23 | Pittsburgh | 24–12 | 14–6 | T–3rd | NCAA Division I Round of 32 | ||||
| 2023–24 | Pittsburgh | 22–11 | 12–8 | 4th | |||||
| 2024–25 | Pittsburgh | 17–15 | 8–12 | T–9th | |||||
| Pittsburgh: | 114–107 (.516) | 55–79 (.410) | |||||||
| Total: | 276–217 (.560)* | ||||||||
|
National champion Conference regular season champion Conference tournament champion |
|||||||||
*Oklahoma vacated 13 regular season wins (and 4 conference wins) due to use of an ineligible player during the 2009–10 season.
