Pittsburgh Panthers faithful woke up to exciting news on Tuesday morning. The University of Pittsburgh announced they had reached a two-year contract extension with head coach Jeff Capel.

The new contract takes the coach through the 2026-27 season.

This comes on the verge of Tuesday night’s contest against the North Carolina Tar Heels. Capel leads his team into the game with a 10-4 record and signature wins over Florida State and Rutgers. Beating the reeling Tar Heels would be great for the Panthers’ confidence.

Capel came to the Panthers in an ugly situation. The team had been finding its footing after the Kevin Stallings-era ruined any future hope the program had. The former Duke assistant coach reshaped the excitement around the program and has things trending up.

With a 24-23 record in his two seasons at Pitt so far, Athletic Director Heather Lyke decided to further shore up the basketball department.

“In a short time, I have seen Coach Capel and his staff provide Pitt basketball with the opportunity to succeed at the highest level because of their work ethic, basketball acumen and belief in building this program the right way with the right people,” Lyke said.

Capel: Ready to Build Momentum

Capel also expressed his excitement to extend his commitment to turning the program around.

“I am excited about the direction of our basketball program as we continue to build a sustainable winning culture in the [ACC],” Capel said. “We will continue to give 100 percent of ourselves as we represent Pitt on the court, in the classroom and in the community.”

“The Pittsburgh community has embraced my family and me and we look forward to deepening our roots here. We are extremely appreciative to be part of the City of Champions.”

Things certainly seem to be trending up for the Panthers. A win Tuesday evening over the Tar Heels would really brighten things up for the ACC run.

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