The Role Finances Played In Pitt Retaining Jeff Capel

PITTSBURGH — Director of Athletics Allen Greene made the executive decision to bring men's basketball head coach Jeff Capel back for a ninth season after a disappointing 13-20 (5-13 ACC) result in 2025-26.

And it appears that financials played a large role in the decision.

Reports from On3's Pete Nakos and PantherLair's Chris Peak in the lead-up to Capel's official return stated that Greene had the financial backing to afford Capel's reported $15 million buyout, and it was at his discretion whether to move on from Capel or not.

ESPN's Pete Thamel reported that the deciding factor to retain Capel did come down to financials and that Pitt will continue to focus on acquiring resources for NIL revenue in the future.

The decision at Pittsburgh came down to finances, as they would have owed him nearly $15 million. PItt is going to focus on pushing the resources to NIL. https://t.co/Jc1hY95fYf
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) March 13, 2026

It's All About $$$

Sep 27, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers Director of Athletics Allen Greene cheers the Panthers against the Louisville Cardinals during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Thamel's report was reflected in Greene's official statement when announcing the return of Capel.

"We already provide our student-athletes with the full amount allowable through revenue sharing. But the programs that thrive are the ones that bring their entire community together, from alumni and fans to supporters and corporate partners, to create above-the-cap NIL opportunities for our student-athletes," Greene said.

The context behind Greene's statement is also important.

The House settlement in June 2025 permitted Division I schools to share revenue directly with student-athletes, with a cap set at $20.5 million in 2025-26, which Greene says Pitt has reached. That $20.5 million total can be divided however each school's athletic department sees fit. However, the cap can be exceeded through third-party NIL deals — non-revenue sharing money — providing an advantage to schools that generate more business opportunities for their student-athletes.

Green noted that the investment in this season's team, which finished 13-20, was "sufficient enough" to make the NCAA tournament and expressed his disappointment at being the 15th and lowest seed in the ACC tournament, but believes Pitt has the potential to take another step in NIL.

"Our region is one of the most dynamic economic centers in the country," said Greene. "Ten Fortune 500 companies are headquartered here and more than thirty others maintain a significant presence in the area. Our platform connects businesses with one of the most passionate fan bases in college sports and offers meaningful ways to engage with the Pittsburgh community. That creates a tremendous opportunity for Pitt Athletics to partner with those companies who choose to invest in the success of our student-athletes and programs."

Now that the move to keep Capel has been made, it's clear that this roster and coaching staff cannot be the same in 2026-27.

Greene mentioned the addition of men's basketball general manager Jay Kuntz, who was hired in May 2025, to aid in roster construction, but this team was clearly not talented enough to compete at a high level.

Mar 10, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers forward Roman Siulepa (13) drives against Stanford Cardinal forward AJ Rohosy (4) during the second half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

There were impactful offseason additions like true freshman Roman Siulepa, team leader in 3-point percentage (minimum of five attempts), Nojus Indrusaitis and second-leading scorer Barry Dunning Jr, but the losing record signaled that either the team's personnel was constructed inadequately, poor coaching was the culprit for Pitt's struggles or both.

Committing more of a financial commitment to the basketball program should yield a stronger showing in 2026-27 through a combination of retaining talent, acquiring more talent through high school recruiting and the transfer portal and building a stronger coaching staff.

Pitt has already accomplished one of those steps with an incoming high school recruiting class that is set to be Capel's best since he arrived at Pitt, thanks to commitments from four-stars Chase Foster, Anthony Felesi and Jermal Jones Jr.

But if the Panthers have a similar season in 2026-27 after a larger financial commitment, Capel may not last until winter break.

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