Inside The Panthers

Pitt Gets Visit From Former Rival Coach

In the latest episode of the Pitt Panthers' 'Unscripted' series, the former coach of a competitor made an appearance to talk about the team.
Owen Lenson|
Mar 16, 2023; Birmingham, AL, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers head coach Bob Huggins reacts against the Maryland Terrapins during the second half in the first round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament at Legacy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images
Mar 16, 2023; Birmingham, AL, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers head coach Bob Huggins reacts against the Maryland Terrapins during the second half in the first round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament at Legacy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

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Pittsburgh Panthers

The Pitt Panthers men's basketball program has released the second episode of their 'Unscripted' web-series. It goes behind the scenes of practices, games, the coaches, and players.

A surprise in the latest episode was former West Virginia head coach Bob Huggins. He could be seen in Pitt head coach Jeff Capel's office and getting interviewed in the team's film room.

History

Huggins was the head coach of West Virginia basketball from 2007-2023. He had a 345-203 overall win-loss record with the Mountaneers, making the NCAA tournament 11 times during his tenure. In the 2010 season, Huggins coached West Virginia to a Final Four Appearance.

Huggins has recieved multiple awards throughout his career. He earned C-USA Coach of the Year three times as head coach of Cincinnati between 1998-2000. In 2015, Huggins won Big 12 Coach of the Year.

According to the Pitt Athletics site, Huggins has a 9-7 record against Pitt as the head coach of West Virginia. Huggins and Capel have faced off several times.

Pitt head coach Jeff Cape
Nov 12, 2021; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers head coach Jeff Capel III yells from the bench during the first half against the West Virginia Mountaineers at WVU Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images | Ben Queen-Imagn Images

Present

What likely connects Huggins to Pitt basketball is Jay Kuntz, the current general manager of Pitt men's basketball. Before getting the job of general manager, Kuntz was an assitant coach at West Virginia under Huggins.

"Jay was my guy. Jay knew how everything was supposed to be," Huggins said about Kuntz. "99% of the time, he knew what he was doing and had everything fixed."

Kuntz mentioned how he wouldn't have taken the general manager job if it wasn't for the experience he had under Huggins, or if his vision wasn't so aligned with the Pitt coaching staff.

While new to the job, Kuntz has clearly been doing it right so far. Pitt recently landed a top 50 commit for 2026 and has made several key additions in the transfer portal.

Huggins also praised Capel for how he controls his program, saying "he's a good guy and coach." Huggins emphasized Capel's ability to break down film and how he treats his players. "His players enjoy playing for [Capel]. If I was a player, I'd want to play for him."

Pitt will take on West Virginia in Morgantown on Nov 13. West Virginia is part of a long list of nonconference former Big East rivals Pitt will play this season. That includes the recent exhibition win over Providence.

While rivalries on the court and between fans can get heated, Huggins' and Capel's relationship shows that common ground can be found between those that appreciate the game.

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Owen Lenson
OWEN LENSON

Owen Lenson is a junior at the University of Pittsburgh majoring in media and professional communications and minoring in political science. He has a passion for making stories out of journalism and reporting.

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