Busting Brackets
Fansided

ACC Basketball: Ranking all 15 head coaches in 2023 after recent changes

By Joey Loose

Mar 26, 2023; Kansas City, MO, USA; Miami Hurricanes head coach Jim Larranaga cuts down the net after defeating the Texas Longhorns at the T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 26, 2023; Kansas City, MO, USA; Miami Hurricanes head coach Jim Larranaga cuts down the net after defeating the Texas Longhorns at the T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
9 of 16
Next
ACC Basketball Pittsburgh Panthers head coach Jeff Capel III Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
ACC Basketball Pittsburgh Panthers head coach Jeff Capel III Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /

8. Jeff Capel III – Pittsburgh

While he didn’t win a title as a player, Capel was an important piece as a guard at Duke back in the mid-90’s and began his coaching career a few years later. He started off as an assistant under his father at Old Dominion and became head coach at VCU just a couple seasons later. Capel took those Rams to the NCAA Tournament and later led Oklahoma to an Elite Eight way back in 2009 with Blake Griffin. He returned to Durham for a 7-year apprenticeship under Coach K at Duke before taking the Pittsburgh job in 2018.

Suffice to say, his work with the Panthers hasn’t been pretty. Prior to this season, Capel had a firm hot seat and was likely on the chopping block, finishing at or near the bottom of the ACC in each of his first four seasons. However, Pittsburgh greatly exceeded expectations this season, nearly winning the regular season title and getting back to the NCAA Tournament, winning a pair of games in the First Four and first round.

A hot seat doesn’t completely cool off after one season, but Pittsburgh’s success did break a streak of six straight seasons under .500 for Capel as a head coach. That being said, he has had success as a head coach and recruiter and got what he needed out of these Panthers this season. Things haven’t always been pretty, but perhaps Pittsburgh is back on the right track.