I’ve had an account with PantherLair for a while, regularly check the message boards, but never feel the need to comment. I listen to the podcast, I follow on Twitter. I sat through every home game of the Stallings era, went on road trips. I’m no casual fan. I want Pitt basketball to succeed as much as anyone on here, I promise. I live and breathe Pitt athletics. This might be long winded, read or don’t. That being said, I feel like I need to address one thing about Coach Capel.
I’ve noticed over the last year or so, people mentioning that Jeff is a good guy but can’t coach; people want him to succeed, want our program back, I get it. More recently though, and seemingly lining up with the struggles of the team, people have changed their tune to question why he’s such a good guy; how would you know he’s a good guy, what evidence do you have that he’s such a great guy, etc. Question his ability to coach, that’s your right, and it’s fair, especially if you care. Maybe he’s the guy to turn this thing around, maybe he isn’t. Personally, I think he is, but that’s not the point of this post.
I want to tell you all, on behalf of my family that’s spent a good amount of time together with the Capel family, some of your comments about the integrity of our coach (like it or not, he’s your coach) as a PERSON could not be more wrong, and not fair if you have nothing to back up your claims. “Arrogant” and “Asshole” have been floated out there. It’s the same thing many of you said about Narduzzi before he won a championship. Arrogant, nothing to back it up, you name it, it was said about Duzz. Now, you say the same about Jeff with no personal evidence.
So, what’s my ground to stand on to tell you about Jeff as a PERSON? Here’s my ground, and my family’s ground. We own a small restaurant in Lawrenceville, hole in the wall, struggled through covid as much as anyone. Not long after Jeff got the job here, he came to our restaurant at my request. He brought his family; the entire family. His wife Kanika, their kids, his brother (that you all rip, once again, without knowing the guy personally) Jason’s wife, their kids, and their mom (who is one of the best people we’ve ever met too). They spent hours with us, took pictures with anyone that asked. It wasn’t a one and done thing either. This entire family has supported us since the day they got to Pittsburgh. I’ve seen people mention Jeff “doesn’t want to be a part of this community.” Once again, could not be more false. When covid shut down businesses, Jeff and his family were more supportive than we ever could have hoped. They got takeout every Friday night. EVERY FRIDAY. Jeff came and picked up personally every single time, and hung out for half an hour each time to catch up. He knows every person that works here by name. Any time any one of us sees Jeff on campus, he stops and talks to us, asks how everyone is, how we’re doing as a business.
Jeff and his entire family have become a part of ours; we will support him every single day he is in Pittsburgh, whether that’s 1 more year or 15, just as him and his family have done for us. If this sounds like evidence of an arrogant, asshole of a human being, please let me know what else I can provide to you, I’d be happy to.
To wrap it up, make whatever conclusions you want on Jeff Capel as a basketball coach, it’s cool. I do hope you’ll stop concluding that if he’s not meeting your standards as a coach, that it doesn’t and shouldn’t conclude that he’s a bad person. He’s actually one of the most genuine people you could ever spend time with, and I hope he’s here long enough for the rest of you to realize it.
Hail to Pitt, and Hail to Coach Capel.
I’ve noticed over the last year or so, people mentioning that Jeff is a good guy but can’t coach; people want him to succeed, want our program back, I get it. More recently though, and seemingly lining up with the struggles of the team, people have changed their tune to question why he’s such a good guy; how would you know he’s a good guy, what evidence do you have that he’s such a great guy, etc. Question his ability to coach, that’s your right, and it’s fair, especially if you care. Maybe he’s the guy to turn this thing around, maybe he isn’t. Personally, I think he is, but that’s not the point of this post.
I want to tell you all, on behalf of my family that’s spent a good amount of time together with the Capel family, some of your comments about the integrity of our coach (like it or not, he’s your coach) as a PERSON could not be more wrong, and not fair if you have nothing to back up your claims. “Arrogant” and “Asshole” have been floated out there. It’s the same thing many of you said about Narduzzi before he won a championship. Arrogant, nothing to back it up, you name it, it was said about Duzz. Now, you say the same about Jeff with no personal evidence.
So, what’s my ground to stand on to tell you about Jeff as a PERSON? Here’s my ground, and my family’s ground. We own a small restaurant in Lawrenceville, hole in the wall, struggled through covid as much as anyone. Not long after Jeff got the job here, he came to our restaurant at my request. He brought his family; the entire family. His wife Kanika, their kids, his brother (that you all rip, once again, without knowing the guy personally) Jason’s wife, their kids, and their mom (who is one of the best people we’ve ever met too). They spent hours with us, took pictures with anyone that asked. It wasn’t a one and done thing either. This entire family has supported us since the day they got to Pittsburgh. I’ve seen people mention Jeff “doesn’t want to be a part of this community.” Once again, could not be more false. When covid shut down businesses, Jeff and his family were more supportive than we ever could have hoped. They got takeout every Friday night. EVERY FRIDAY. Jeff came and picked up personally every single time, and hung out for half an hour each time to catch up. He knows every person that works here by name. Any time any one of us sees Jeff on campus, he stops and talks to us, asks how everyone is, how we’re doing as a business.
Jeff and his entire family have become a part of ours; we will support him every single day he is in Pittsburgh, whether that’s 1 more year or 15, just as him and his family have done for us. If this sounds like evidence of an arrogant, asshole of a human being, please let me know what else I can provide to you, I’d be happy to.
To wrap it up, make whatever conclusions you want on Jeff Capel as a basketball coach, it’s cool. I do hope you’ll stop concluding that if he’s not meeting your standards as a coach, that it doesn’t and shouldn’t conclude that he’s a bad person. He’s actually one of the most genuine people you could ever spend time with, and I hope he’s here long enough for the rest of you to realize it.
Hail to Pitt, and Hail to Coach Capel.
