Pitt's Jeff Capel Shakes Up Coaching Staff

PITTSBURGH — The Pitt Panthers have had the same exact staff under men's basketball head coach Jeff Capel for his entire tenure, but that will change for the next campaign.

Both assistant coaches in Jason Capel, Jeff Capel's brother, and Tim O'Toole will not return to the program for the 2026-27 season, according to Jim Hammett of PantherLair.

Jason Capel and O'Toole have worked under Jeff Capel since he took over in 2018 and spent the past eight seasons on his bench. Milan Brown is the other assistant under Jeff Capel, who has also been with him his entire tenure and is still currently there.

O'Toole held the title of associate head coach and worked primarily with post players, including Cameron Corhen and Roman Siulepa this past season, twins in Guillermo and Jorge Diaz Graham and Federiko Federiko.

He previously worked as a head coach at Fairfield for eight seasons, 1998-2006, going 112-120 overall (.483) and making the NIT in 2003. He also had 15 years of assistant coaching experience before coming to Pitt, working for Duke, Stanford, California, Seton Hall, Iona, Army and Fordham.

Jason Capel had the title of assistant coach and spent time with the wings and small forwards.

This includes Zack Austin, who led the Panthers in blocked shots and 3-pointers in the 2024-25 season, Blake Hinson, who won All-ACC First Team and All-ACC Second Team honors in back-to-back seasons, plus Justin Champagnie, who was an All-ACC First Team honoree and now plays with the Washington Wizards.

Jason Capel also served as the head coach of Appalachian State for four seasons from 2010 to 2014, posting a 52-70 record (.431) and 32-35 (.478) in the SoCon.

Why Pitt is Making Staff Changes

The Panthers have gone just 127-127 (.500) during that time and 60-92 (.395) in the ACC, with just one NCAA tournament appearance and only three winning seasons.

Pitt is coming off a terrible 2024-25 campaign, where they finished 13-20 overall and 5-13 in the ACC, marking the second 20-loss season under Jeff Capel and just the fifth in program history.

Pitt Panthers head coach Jeff Capel — Mar 11, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers head coach Jeff Capel III reacts in the second half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The Panthers retained Jeff Capel for the following season, with his massive buyout reportedly playing a big role, but there's clear pressure on the head coach to start winning immediately.

Capel will now work with general manager Jay Kuntz and will build through the transfer portal after putting together one of the better recruiting classes in the nation for 2026, which includes top 100 recruits like Anthony Felesi, Chase Foster and Jermal Jones Jr.

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