(Caption for Photo: Pittsburgh head coach Jeff Capel reacts to a call during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against NC State in the second round of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament in Charlotte, N.C., Wednesday, March 11th, 2026, Photo Courtesy of the Associated Press)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Pitt men’s basketball coach Jeff Capel will return for his ninth season as the head coach of the Panthers next season despite no appearance in the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament and a 13-20 overall record this season. Pitt athletic director Allan Greene made the announcement on Friday in a letter that was sent out to Panther Nation after “evaluating every aspect” of the men’s basketball program. Capel is 127-127 in eight seasons as head coach at Pitt with just one NCAA tournament appearance to his credit in 2023. He earned honors as the ACC Coach of the Year that same season after leading the Panthers to a 21-10 regular season record while achieving a 14-6 record in ACC conference play. Capel is under contract through the 2029-2030 season after he signed an extension in 2024.