Jeff Capel Grateful Pitt Retaining Bill Hillgrove

The Pitt Panthers will still have the incomparable Bill Hillgrove calling their games and for that, Jeff Capel is grateful.

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers lost an integral part of their history this week when their play-by-play announcer of 30 years, Bill Hillgrove, announced that he would retire from his post with the Steelers Radio Network. But Hillgrove will continue to call Pitt Panthers football and basketball games and for that, Jeff Capel is grateful. 

The Pitt men's basketball head coach, whose games will still be narrated by a man who's served as the soundtrack to Panthers athletics on the radio for more than five decades, was most appreciative of the fact that Hillgrove was able to dictate the terms of his retirement. 

“Well he’s awesome, first and foremost," Capel said. "It’s awesome when you get to do it your way and you’re not pushed out so that’s awesome. Not many people who do what we do have an opportunity to go out that way. I’m glad he’ll still be with us."

Capel is a Steelers fan, so he will miss hearing Hillgrove's familiar tones on the radio on fall Sunday afternoons, but he has the rare pleasure of getting to work with Hillgrove and will have his full attention as he takes one team's broadcasting duties off of his plate. 

"As a Steeler fan it’s going to be different not hearing him on the radio because he’s been a staple of that organization for so long." Capel said. "But again, I’m grateful we’ll still have him and that he’ll still be a part of what we have here with our men’s basketball program. When you get a chance to be around someone like that, you cherish every moment that you have.”

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