Pittsburgh Panthers, Jeff Capel reach contract extension

Men's basketball coach Jeff Capel and Pittsburgh have agreed to a three-year contract extension, the school announced Wednesday.

The deal keeps Capel with the Panthers through at least the 2029-30 season.

Capel is 97-92 in six seasons at Pitt, which hired him in 2018 after he served as an assistant at Duke. Capel was named ACC Coach of the Year in 2023, after guiding the Panthers to a third-place showing despite being picked to finish 14th in the preseason.

The Panthers went 22-11 this past season, narrowly missing an NCAA tournament berth.

"The University of Pittsburgh continues to have outstanding leadership under Chancellor Joan Gabel and Director of Athletics Heather Lyke," Capel said in a statement. "I am appreciative of the support they have provided me and my staff as we continue to build a Pitt Men's Basketball program that competes for championships on a conference and national level annually. Pittsburgh is a terrific sports town full of amazing people and we are grateful for the continued support of so many passionate fans. We will continue to give one hundred percent of ourselves as we represent Pitt on the court, in the classroom and in the community."

The Panthers return four of their top six scorers this season, a group that includes guards Ishmael Leggett and Jaland Lowe . Damian Dunn also joined the team via transfer from Houston.

Lyke commended Capel for his efforts since being hired.

"Brick-by-brick, he built a rock-solid foundation that has Pitt basketball poised for a championship future," Lyke said in the statement. "Jeff is an outstanding leader well beyond the court and we are highly fortunate to have him representing the University of Pittsburgh."