Jeff Capel has always coached with a chip on his shoulder. Named head coach of Virginia Commonwealth at just 27-years-old, Capel was the youngest Division-I basketball coach in the country at the time.
“When I was named the head coach [at Virginia Commonwealth, there] were a lot of people that expected me to fail, and wanted me to fail, in and out of the profession just because it was such a shocking thing,” Capel said.
Despite the critics, Capel guided the Rams to the 2004 NCAA Tournament in just his second season, the program’s first NCAA appearance since 1996.
Two years after that NCAA berth, Capel became head coach at Oklahoma. His critics, however, were not silenced, even as Capel quickly became one of the hottest young coaches in the nation.
“I heard things that I didn’t deserve the Oklahoma job either,” Capel said.
The program was in a dire state following the departure of head coach Kelvin Sampson and three of his top recruits. Yet even with the undesirable conditions, Capel led the Sooners to an NCAA Tournament appearance in his second season. And in 2009, he took Oklahoma—and sophomore sensation Blake Griffin—to the Elite Eight, only to be knocked off by the eventual champion, North Carolina.
After one of the most successful seasons in Oklahoma basketball history, the Sooners struggled the next two seasons, finishing 13-18 and 14-18, respectively. In 2010, three Oklahoma underclassmen left school for the NBA Draft, making Capel’s job even tougher.
In March 2011, the University made the decision to fire Capel despite his 96-69 record over five seasons in Norman.
“It was very hard,” Capel said. “You go from having a lot of success that I had experienced the first seven years of my coaching career and then you go through a rough time. It was difficult not being there with my team, the guys we had recruited, the guys that came to Oklahoma that came to be a part of what we were trying to build there.”
Following his exit from Oklahoma, Capel did not intend to coach anywhere the next season, instead planning to be a television commentator. Head coach Mike Krzyzewski, however, quickly seized the opportunity to add another former player to his staff.
Capel played under Krzyzewski from 1993-97, averaging 12.4 points per game in his career.
“The next day after I was fired I was back at Duke to see everyone, and I talked to Coach K and immediately he offered me a job as a special assistant,” Capel said. “I told him I would think about it. A few days later, Coach K called and told me he wanted me to join the staff as an assistant coach.”
Eventually Capel decided that the opportunity to return to Duke, join his former teammates on the staff and learn from Krzyzewski was too good to refuse.
“This is my home, this is where I played,” Capel said. “It’s my alma mater, it’s a place I’ve always had tremendous love for.”
Capel’s love for Duke was evident at Countdown to Craziness, his first game in Cameron Indoor Stadium as a coach.
“I’ll be honest, I kind of got emotional just because it was, it was incredible,” Capel said. “It was so amazing to be back in a place where they love basketball, appreciate basketball and you could feel the passion.”
The Blue Devils—especially the post players, who have become Capel’s primary responsibility—have noticed the benefit of his presence.
“Capel expects nothing but the best—he’s a lot like Coach [Krzyzewski],” said sophomore forward Josh Hairston, who played for Capel with the U18 United States national team in 2010. “He pushes us everyday. He knows how to put us in the right position offensively. Having his perspective is great, I’m really glad he’s on our staff.”
Capel said he will likely take another head coaching job eventually, though for now his focus is on Duke.
“I do want to be a head coach again,” Capel said. “It’s not something I’m actively pursuing. I told Coach [Krzyzewski] this—my bags are unpacked. I’ve come here to be here. I want to be here, period.”
The addition of Capel makes one of the most experienced coaching staffs in basketball even better. For Duke, having Capel gives the Blue Devils a new voice, a fresh perspective and a bevy of experience that will pay dividends for this young Duke team.
And for Capel, being back at Duke has helped make that chip feel a little bit lighter.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.