Assistant coaches confirmed ...Capels

[levance2]

I am talking fit and qualifications

How was Richardson any more qualified than Capel's brother? Richardson was a career Stallings lackey. Jason Capel played at an ACC school and coached 2010-14 at App State, which is actually relevant to our recruiting area as opposed to Illinois State 1999-2003.

 

[giveitarest]

I am talking fit and qualifications

Stallings and his associates "Fit"?

 

[below0w]

Richardson (AHC - Former Head Coach) - Sutton (Asst G'Twon)- Ballard (Asst VCU- 1 yr removed)

O'Toole - Capel - ????

Are you trying to argue that Tom Richardson had a better resume than Tim O'Toole? O'Toole was an assistant at much higher profile schools, has more head coaching experience and was also an AHC at his previous school. He's also not on the verge of retirement like Richardson was. They're the only two assistants who make for an apples to apples comparison and O'Toole clearly comes out on top.

Ballard/Sutton and Capel are more difficult to compare as Ballard has always been an assistant coach, whereas Capel was an assistant for only one year and a head coach for four. Sutton probably had the best resume of any of Stallings' assistants, although most of his coaching experience wasn't collegiate.

 

[Rezzo]

I don't think adding BK is a good idea for Capel. In my opinion, he needs to establish his own staff identity without having to worry about having a coach on his staff who has his own faction of supporters thinking he should be in a more deserving role.

Knight would be that coach I would hire

 

[gary2]

Stallings and his associates "Fit"?

Experienced former head coach as top chair - 2 well regarded assistant coaches with very recent recruiting contacts in your recruiting footprint. - Yeah.

I am not trying to re-litigate the past. Stallings is gone and Capel is the new coach. I am happy about that.

I can't say I am happy with the assistants at this point. A brother who has not coached or recruited anywhere for some time (and only at one spot and not terribly successful there) and a coach who has spent the last 4 years on the West Coast (and never manages to last very long wherever he coaches)

Paint me unimpressed. Is that allowed?

 

[giveitarest]

Experienced former head coach as top chair - 2 well regarded assistant coaches with very recent recruiting contacts in your recruiting footprint. - Yeah.

I am not trying to re-litigate the past. Stallings is gone and Capel is the new coach. I am happy about that.

I can't say I am happy with the assistants at this point. A brother who has not coached or recruited anywhere for some time (and only at one spot and not terribly successful there) and a coach who has spent the last 4 years on the West Coast (and never manages to last very long wherever he coaches)

Paint me unimpressed. Is that allowed?

Admitting you are unimpressed tells me plenty. But hey have at it.
I am very pleased with his hires and please note I have no clue nor does anyone else how they will do "Today" but on paper solid hires. Besides not talking resumes even though these 2 are very qualified as much as the others. I am talking about the Fit at Pitt. They fit like an extra large Trojan on a 2 inch pecker. So until they have a body of work at Pitt you have no idea if they Fit or not.

 

[gary2]

Admitting you are unimpressed tells me plenty. But hey have at it.
I am very pleased with his hires and please note I have no clue nor does anyone else how they will do "Today" but on paper solid hires. Besides not talking resumes even though these 2 are very qualified as much as the others. I am talking about the Fit at Pitt. They fit like an extra large Trojan on a 2 inch pecker. So until they have a body of work at Pitt you have no idea if they Fit or not.

I am hoping they do a great job. Last season was not fun for anyone.

 

[Chescat]

Experienced former head coach as top chair - 2 well regarded assistant coaches with very recent recruiting contacts in your recruiting footprint. - Yeah.

I am not trying to re-litigate the past. Stallings is gone and Capel is the new coach. I am happy about that.

I can't say I am happy with the assistants at this point. A brother who has not coached or recruited anywhere for some time (and only at one spot and not terribly successful there) and a coach who has spent the last 4 years on the West Coast (and never manages to last very long wherever he coaches)

Paint me unimpressed. Is that allowed?

Yes, it is allowed. I for one, accept your opinion...I just don't agree with it. The brother
is part of a North Carolina coaching heritage (see father and brothers). They both
played at ACC legit schools, UNC and Duke, and were stars. They've both got
head coaching experience, and their tobacco road roots run deep. All that can only
help Pitt. So many schools have the black assistant coach for very obvious reasons,
but we not only have that in one assistant, but also in the head coach. I know, I know,
shouldn't bring up race, but again IMO it will only help. As a northern school it's
hard not to be an outlier in the ACC....the Capel brothers obviously help in that
regard too.
O'toole's coaching resume is great, and he currently is an associate head coach.
He has northeastern roots and has coached at some big time schools.
I like what I see, disagree with your assessment, but once again respect your opinion.

 

[gary2]

Yes, it is allowed. I for one, accept your opinion...I just don't agree with it. The brother
is part of a North Carolina coaching heritage (see father and brother). They both
played at ACC legit schools, UNC and Duke, and were stars. They've both got
head coaching experience, and their tobacco road roots run deep. All that can only
help Pitt. So many schools have the black assistant coach for very obvious reasons,
but we not only have that in one assistant, but also in the head coach. I know, I know,
shouldn't bring up race, but again IMO it will only help. As a northern school it's
hard not to be an outlier in the ACC....the Capel brothers obviously help in that
regard too.
O'toole's coaching resume is great, and he currently is an associate head coach.
He has northeastern roots and has coached at some big time schools.
I like what I see, disagree with your assessment, but once again respect your opinion.

Thank you - Different people can view the same set of resumes and draw different conclusions. You have provided a solid basis for yours. I have always valued your opinion even when we disagree.

 

[Jpripper88]

Not to pick the scab, but what would everybody be saying if Stallings had hired these assistants?

That they are a lot better than the hires he made.

 

[redbyrds]

Experienced former head coach as top chair - 2 well regarded assistant coaches with very recent recruiting contacts in your recruiting footprint. - Yeah.

I am not trying to re-litigate the past. Stallings is gone and Capel is the new coach. I am happy about that.

I can't say I am happy with the assistants at this point. A brother who has not coached or recruited anywhere for some time (and only at one spot and not terribly successful there) and a coach who has spent the last 4 years on the West Coast (and never manages to last very long wherever he coaches)

Paint me unimpressed. Is that allowed?

The biggest difference is Stallings did not have a big time recruiter/closer on his staff including himself.
Capel already does (himself) so we are already way ahead in terms of bringing in talent. His assistants need to teach fundamentals and coach X & O while HC Capel brings in talent.

This is not like football where you need 8 coaches to bring in 3-4 kids each for your class of 25 kids. One top notch recruiter bringing in two impact players per year fills your depth nicely and allows you to compete at high levels. Head Coach will make sure that this is the case.

I would take Capel, with IUP, Slippery Rock and Cal of PA coaches over Stallings, Ballard, Sutton & Cage as Capel is the only top closer in the bunch. Of that list, Sutton would be the 2nd best recruiter, so I would be OK if he stays as the 3rd assistant with his ties.

 

[Jpripper88]

I'm not going to lie and say the hires couldn't be more impressive, but these are pretty damn good #1 and #2. Hopefully the #3 is a young DMV connected recruiter. If so, this staff would be worlds better than what Stallings had.

 

[bayardstreet]

Hi, I am Jason Capel. I played in the Association.

Get kids to visit and let the head coach do the closing.

 

[SoufOaklin4Life]

Have you ever cawled out from under your the world is ending rock and made a positive proclamation????

Just curious!

"its five o'clock somewhere"
Signed: Mr Buffett
Go PITT & CSU Rams!

What the hell are you blathering about?

How was that a negative?

I’ll judge the staff on the results .
Dumping Stallings and hiring a very capable coach has me excited.

Made a few posts - but was in Jamaica when the news broke

 

[ScrantonicityIII]

Experienced former head coach as top chair - 2 well regarded assistant coaches with very recent recruiting contacts in your recruiting footprint. - Yeah.

I am not trying to re-litigate the past. Stallings is gone and Capel is the new coach. I am happy about that.

I can't say I am happy with the assistants at this point. A brother who has not coached or recruited anywhere for some time (and only at one spot and not terribly successful there) and a coach who has spent the last 4 years on the West Coast (and never manages to last very long wherever he coaches)

Paint me unimpressed. Is that allowed?

I guess it was only not allowed when Stallings was here, according to you.

 

[Harve74]

Wasn't a Richardson fan at all. Guy was supposed to be a shooting guru and would fix Damon Wison's and Kithcart's shots.

BOTH got WORSE.

Sutton at least had some Monteverde chops and some Canadian connections, and kids seemed to like him, but for one reason or another, he couldn't convert those relationships into signatures on LOI's. He didn't get help from a closer, but...As Gary said, no need to relitigate Stallings' failings.

Not sure exactly what Ballard actually accomplished here. Was supposed to help Wilson and Kithcart develop. That didn't happen. The best thing we can say about Ballard is he WASN'T Dan Cage.

I'm not overwhelmed at this point with the new staff. I want a young and strong recruiter to close it out, preferably with a couple Canadians in his pocket.

But, it's Capel's staff. He has the right to his choices, not mine.

 

[TD_6082]

Yes, it is allowed. I for one, accept your opinion...I just don't agree with it. The brother
is part of a North Carolina coaching heritage (see father and brothers). They both
played at ACC legit schools, UNC and Duke, and were stars. They've both got
head coaching experience, and their tobacco road roots run deep. All that can only
help Pitt. So many schools have the black assistant coach for very obvious reasons,
but we not only have that in one assistant, but also in the head coach. I know, I know,
shouldn't bring up race, but again IMO it will only help. As a northern school it's
hard not to be an outlier in the ACC....the Capel brothers obviously help in that
regard too.
O'toole's coaching resume is great, and he currently is an associate head coach.
He has northeastern roots and has coached at some big time schools.
I like what I see, disagree with your assessment, but once again respect your opinion.

A former point guard, black, at a legit ACC school that had a successful college career, and a well known name to boot. That's a guarantee for success. Just ask Sidney Lowe.

 

[Chescat]

A former point guard, black, at a legit ACC school that had a successful college career, and a well known name to boot. That's a guarantee for success. Just ask Sidney Lowe.

Who said it was a "guarantee" for success? You cherry picked one part of the post and
made an absurd generalization based on one player..
How about I cherry pick one part of your post based on your comment about a "black"
point guard....what would that make you?

 

[TD_6082]

Who said it was a "guarantee" for success? You cherry picked one part of the post and
made an absurd generalization based on one player..
How about I cherry pick one part of your post based on your comment about a "black"
point guard....what would that make you?

It wasn't just the part about being black. Where he played, his star power, his head coaching background.

 

[TD_6082]

What the hell are you blathering about?

How was that a negative?

I’ll judge the staff on the results .
Dumping Stallings and hiring a very capable coach has me excited.

Made a few posts - but was in Jamaica when the news broke

You didn't like Stallings because of his piss poor resume when he was hired. Yet, you call Capel capable. Capable of what? He has a resume too you know. It's rather unimpressive. 5 years and fired at OU. 4-3 filling in for K, forcing K to call a team meeting at his house at one point, and ultimately coming back early to save the season.

 

[Chescat]

It wasn't just the part about being black. Where he played, his star power, his head coaching background.

As I said...you cherry picked. You used one player, Sidney Lowe, who had a mediocre college coaching record, actually 86 -78....to show that the Capels, two black coaches with ACC playing experience, NC roots, and head coaching experience might not be a good fit at Pitt. All this based on Sidney Lowe's 86-78 college record??
Maybe we shoulda kept your boy Stallings...LOL

 

[TD_6082]

As I said...you cherry picked. You used one player, Sidney Lowe, who had a mediocre college coaching record, actually 86 -78....to show that the Capels, two black coaches with ACC playing experience, NC roots, and head coaching experience might not be a good fit at Pitt. All this based on Sidney Lowe's 86-78 college record??
Maybe we shoulda kept your boy Stallings...LOL

One Capel couldn't cut it at Appy State. Jeff Capel has been a HC for 9 years. He has only been to The NCAA tourney 3 times and was fired from his only job in a power conference after 5 years. His Big 12 record was 37-43. Forgive me for being skeptical that he can bring a player the caliber of Blake Griffin to Pitt.

 

[Gep Dawg]

I think the difference with Jason Capel is he grew up in the ACC footprint and watched his dad recruit/coach. He also has been around the league since he left appy state. Besides competent coaching we need more acc accumulation and integration. Both Capels bring that. As for Jeff’s head coaching record: For a young guy he did pretty well. No coach is perfect but at least he got to an Elite 8 and brought in top talent. Oklahoma has had their issues for years with boosters and he was cleared of all the wrong doing that hurt his program in the past few years. His head coaching record should not discourage anyone from being excited about him and what he did later at Duke.

 

[P1TTFAN]

No one person has a more vested interest in the success of the program than Jeff Capel. IF the Duke job is his dream job, washing out at Pitt after losing the OU job would mean the Duke job is off the table. I think Jeff wants to win HERE! Jeff would know what Jason’s skill set is better than anyone…AND don’t think this isn’t important in todays NCAA/FBI world he knows & trusts his value system.

 

[Chescat]

One Capel couldn't cut it at Appy State. Jeff Capel has been a HC for 9 years. He has only been to The NCAA tourney 3 times and was fired from his only job in a power conference after 5 years. His Big 12 record was 37-43. Forgive me for being skeptical that he can bring a player the caliber of Blake Griffin to Pitt.

Ok fair enough. You've explained why you are skeptical about the Capels being hired at Pitt. I of course have explained why I feel they are both solid hires. Let's see how the
other assistant hire works out and how the roster is finalized. Then we all can sit back
this season and watch the results. Maybe you can agree that you'd like to see all of
this work out in Pitt's favor, and that the program picks itself up and improves under
this coaching staff.

 

[gary2]

Wasn't a Richardson fan at all. Guy was supposed to be a shooting guru and would fix Damon Wison's and Kithcart's shots.

BOTH got WORSE.

Sutton at least had some Monteverde chops and some Canadian connections, and kids seemed to like him, but for one reason or another, he couldn't convert those relationships into signatures on LOI's. He didn't get help from a closer, but...As Gary said, no need to relitigate Stallings' failings.

Not sure exactly what Ballard actually accomplished here. Was supposed to help Wilson and Kithcart develop. That didn't happen. The best thing we can say about Ballard is he WASN'T Dan Cage.

I'm not overwhelmed at this point with the new staff. I want a young and strong recruiter to close it out, preferably with a couple Canadians in his pocket.

But, it's Capel's staff. He has the right to his choices, not mine.

Agree -The last assistant needs to be a good one. I feel he is the key to this staff.

We have the experienced coach to be a sounding board and help with game management, player development, etc. I am fine with O'Toole filling that role.

We do need a strong recruiter that can recruit to the ACC. (The HC can't do it all)

The final hire can not be equal to or a step down from Jason Capel. Jason might end up a good recruiter, but for the now, we need a proven commodity.

 

[Parkview57]

I am not opposed to Coach Capel running his own ship as I have zero knowledge about who he hired but:

working with family does not imply nepotism

True, but hiring the family is the definition of nepotism, or so I believe.

 

[jscotpitt95]

Has it definitely been released Jason Capel is headed to Pittsburgh as an assistant? or confirmed by more than one person (I spoke to someone yesterday within dept and no one had been hired) I follow him on Instagram and he seems to have enjoyed his TV gig with ESPN and ACC network this past year. I mean you can see he was in PGH by his Insta video but that just shows he was in the city, at Pitt and at a hockey game.

 

[Gunga_Galunga]

One Capel couldn't cut it at Appy State. Jeff Capel has been a HC for 9 years. He has only been to The NCAA tourney 3 times and was fired from his only job in a power conference after 5 years. His Big 12 record was 37-43. Forgive me for being skeptical that he can bring a player the caliber of Blake Griffin to Pitt.

Jason Capel at App St was head coach. He's not the HC here.

Jeff Capel has an Elite 8, Stallings doesn't after 25 years.

Stallings was an epic failure here. Embarrassingly bad, putrid, and host of other adjectives.

 

[jscotpitt95]

I am not opposed to Coach Capel running his own ship as I have zero knowledge about who he hired but:



True, but hiring the family is the definition of nepotism, or so I believe.

so is hiring "friends" (by definition that is) and if that's the case then there would lots of shake-ups across the country. Many schools do have a policy in place for nepotism as it is applied to family hiring (some make it so you can hire in a different position and not as an assistant), Pitt does not.

What's the difference in this though and the fact Jason Richards still on staff and has been; with his dad on the BOT that's nepotism at its best.

 

[below0w]

I am not opposed to Coach Capel running his own ship as I have zero knowledge about who he hired but:



True, but hiring the family is the definition of nepotism, or so I believe.

That may be the technical definition, but in common usage nepotism has negative implications, ie, that the person was hired solely because they're a family member who wouldn't otherwise be qualified for the position. I don't believe that applies to Jason Capel.

 

[joeydavid]

Adding David Grace to the current staff makes this a top 25 staff.

 

[Fsgolfdr]

Wasn't a Richardson fan at all. Guy was supposed to be a shooting guru and would fix Damon Wison's and Kithcart's shots.

BOTH got WORSE.

Sutton at least had some Monteverde chops and some Canadian connections, and kids seemed to like him, but for one reason or another, he couldn't convert those relationships into signatures on LOI's. He didn't get help from a closer, but...As Gary said, no need to relitigate Stallings' failings.

Not sure exactly what Ballard actually accomplished here. Was supposed to help Wilson and Kithcart develop. That didn't happen. The best thing we can say about Ballard is he WASN'T Dan Cage.

I'm not overwhelmed at this point with the new staff. I want a young and strong recruiter to close it out, preferably with a couple Canadians in his pocket.

But, it's Capel's staff. He has the right to his choices, not mine.

Sometimes no amount of instruction works and mostly it’s not the teachers fault !