Inside The Panthers

Pitt HC Jeff Capel Remembers Late, Great Bobby Knight

Pitt Panthers head coach Jeff Capel took a moment to honor Bobby Knight after his passing.

Stephen Thompson

Pitt HC Jeff Capel Remembers Late, Great Bobby Knight
Pitt HC Jeff Capel Remembers Late, Great Bobby Knight /
In this story:

PITTSBURGH -- Jeff Capel and the Pitt Panthers were going through warmups before their first live game action of the 2023-24 season when news broke that one of the best to ever coach college basketball had died.   

Bobby Knight, a legendary figure in American basketball, specifically the college game, passed away at the age of 83 and after his Panthers finished off a blowout exhibition win over Pitt-Johnstown, Capel took a moment to remember one of the sport's icons. 

"Before I discuss this game, I want to send my thoughts and prayers to Coach Knight’s family," Capel said. "Coach Knight has meant so much to the game of basketball. He was one of the greatest coaches ever, in any sport. He was a brilliant basketball mind and really touched so many of the players that had a chance to play for him. He touched their lives and helped them become better men. So I’m really thinking about and praying for his family, the Indiana basketball family, the Texas Tech basketball family and where he started at West Point."

Knight's resume speaks for itself. He is a three-time Big 10 Coach of the Year,  three-time AP Coach of the Year and three-time national champion at Indiana. His 899 career wins rank fourth in Division I history and he owns five of the top 10 single-season winning percentages in Hoosiers history. Knight was the last coach to lead a team to an undefeated regular season. 

Capel has a personal connection to Knight, after having coached against him in the Big 12 when Knight was at Texas Tech and Capel was at Oklahoma in the 2000s and wanted to share a short remembrance for his former colleague and a titan of college basketball. 

"We lost a giant of the game of basketball today," Capel said. "So my heart’s a little bit heavy." 

Make sure you bookmark Inside the Panthers for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more!

Pitt Newcomers Shine in Exhibition Rout

Pitt Reveals First Starting Lineup

Inside Pitt Practice Report: Conversation With Frank Cignetti

Pitt OC Calls For Patience With Struggling Offense

Report: Pitt OT Leaning Towards NFL Leap

Three Things to Watch in Pitt's Exhibition

Published
Stephen Thompson
STEPHEN THOMPSON

Stephen Thompson graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications and political science from Pitt in April 2022 after spending four years as a sports writer and editor at The Pitt News, the University of Pittsburgh's independent, student-run newspaper.  He primarily worked the Pitt men's basketball beat, and filled in on coverage of football, volleyball, softball, gymnastics and lacrosse, in addition to other sports as needed. His work at The Pitt News has won awards from the Pennsylvania News Media Association and Associated College Press.  During the spring and summer of 2021, Stephen interned for Pittsburgh Sports Now, covering baseball in western Pennsylvania. Hailing from Washington D.C., family ties have cultivated a love of Boston's professional teams and Pitt athletics, and a fascination with sports in general.  You can reach Stephen by email at stephenethompson00@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter. Read his latest work:

Home/News