Goodbye VCU

In National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s basketball, March is the month of the national tournament. April is the month of the coach carousel.

After four years as head coach of VCU’s men’s basketball team, Jeff Capel resigned from his position Tuesday. In a press conference at the University of Oklahoma later that day, he was named the new coach of the Sooners.

In a statement released by VCU’s Department of Athletic Communications, University President Eugene P. Trani wished Capel the best in his future position.

“While we are, of course, very disappointed that coach Capel is leaving VCU, we also are proud of what he has accomplished here at VCU, and that he will be the head coach of a Top-25 team.”

The decision came as a surprise to many, considering Capel signed a contract extension last month designed to keep him coaching the Rams through 2012.

Regardless of the quick decision, Director of Athletics Richard L. Sander said he was happy for the former coach.

“Well you know it’s one of those mixed emotions-type things,” he said. “I’m very happy for Jeff, he’s done a great job here. But on the other hand, I’m a little bit disappointed just from the standpoint that we just signed a long-term deal a few weeks ago, and when you do that you think you’re pretty well set. But an opportunity comes along, so I think it’s kind of the culture of the industry.”

The Sooners had been searching for a replacement for former coach Kelvin Sampson, who stepped down from his position to become the head coach for Indiana University. The Hoosiers were searching for a new coach to fill the void left by former coach Mike Davis, who stepped down after leading his team to the NCAA Tournament this past season.

In the press conference at the University of Oklahoma, Capel said he was excited about his opportunity to coach at such a perennial program, but it was tough to leave his former players behind.

“The past few days have been kind of a whirlwind for me,” he said. “This morning I had to do one of the most difficult things that I’ve done, and that’s tell my former team, Virginia Commonwealth University, that I was leaving to accept the job at Oklahoma.”

Sander said Capel was contacted by Oklahoma late last week for an interview for the open position. He said Capel flew to Oklahoma a couple of times for interviews, but wanted to keep his decision private until anything official was announced.

Even though he had known this, Sander was still surprised when he finally heard it was official because the whole deal happened so quickly.

“Yeah it was very, very quick and it was very closed,” he said. “He told me, but it was very confidential. He asked me not to tell anybody. Respecting him, I didn’t. It went very quick.”

Sander also said it was surprising because he and Capel talked Monday morning and Capel said he felt he might not have been the Sooners’ first choice, but maybe a back-up choice. Sander said because of that, Capel did not think he was a lock for the job. Sander said he didn’t know the deal was done until late Monday night when Joe Castiglione, the athletic director for Oklahoma, called to tell him they decided to hire Capel.

Mark Cline, who has been with Capel for the past three seasons as an assistant coach, said he was also surprised by the decision.

“I heard about it around 9:30, 10 o’clock last night,” he said Tuesday. “I had no idea. Everything just happened on short notice. I think it was a big surprise for everybody, to the players, to the fans. I think everything happened very quickly for him.”

Even though Capel was leaving, Cline added he was happy for the former head coach.

“It was his decision, it was a very good opportunity for him and I’m very happy for him. It’s a perennial top-20 program, so I’m very, very happy for him.”

Capel said he was interested in the position because it was a program where you had a chance to not just compete in the NCAA National Tournament, but win the national title.

The Sooners are in the Big 12 conference, which is considered one of the six major conferences in the NCAA. Major programs of Oklahoma’s caliber usually garner the best talent from high schools across the country, and as a result have a better chance than mid-major teams such as VCU to be accepted to play in the 65-team field of the national tournament. Because of this, Capel jumped at the opportunity.

“Just last week I was thinking about going on the road and trying to figure out what we were going to do at VCU and working my team out and things like that,” he said. “Then all of a sudden I get a call to ask me if I would be interested in interviewing to become the head coach of the University of Oklahoma.

“It didn’t take long for me to answer that question,” he continued. “Before he could finish saying Oklahoma I was saying ‘yes’ and ‘when could I come’ and ‘what do I have to do?'”

Even though Capel was excited about his new opportunity, he said it was still a tough decision to leave the school that took a chance on naming him coach four seasons ago.

“It was difficult because those guys believed in me when it was very unpopular,” he said. “I was named head coach at VCU when I was 27 years old. At the time I was the youngest head coach in the country… My whole focus when I got that job was trying to do whatever I could to do the best job that I could do and to make us the most successful program we could be.”

Now Capel has an opportunity to do for Sooners fans what he has done for so many Rams fans, which is to build the most successful program he can. One day he might be able to do for himself what he set out to do when he took his first job as an assistant coach for Old Dominion in 2000: Win a national championship.

Student Body

Carter Jones, 21, male, sports management

“I feel like you got to do what you got to do. Money talks definitely, so I guess that’s just something that comes with the territory when you’re a basketball coach.”

On the impact: “I think it might impact the team in a negative way. Next season, they might not be as good as they were this season, but it depends on what new coach comes in and takes his spot.

On the new coach: “He definitely has a lot of big shoes to fill. He’s really got to come in here and set the tone for the next I say four or five years.”
Marcus Brown, senior, computer engineering

“He’s going to a big-time school, you can’t blame him. It’s a bigger and better opportunity. … It will probably hurt the recruiting department, going from Jeff Capel trying to recruit you to Joe Blow. It could sway my decision.”

Raelen Hargrave, 23, senior, psychology

“I can’t believe it. Actually I kind of do. He has outgrown VCU basketball. He’s a talented coach and he should take any opportunity he can. He’s just such a huge asset to the team.”

On the new coach: “I hope that he would maintain the leadership role that Capel has established. He shouldn’t let the team spirit leave with Capel.”
Kevin Uffelman, 20, sophomore, history

“It sucks. I am a big Duke fan and I always liked watching the games when he played there. He was a great coach and he did a great job with the players here. It just sucks to see him go, but we will see what the new coach can do.”

Alisha Ward, 21, female, junior, mass communications/African-American studies

“He’s going to have to build trust with the team. I’m sure the team took a liking to Capel. The new coach is also going to have to establish himself with the university. The students here love Capel. I think the new coach will have some big shoes to fill.”

On Capel leaving: “It’s shocking because I just thought I read an article about his extension. I thought he’d be around for awhile. I’m sure there’s things we don’t know. We’ll have to see what happens with him in the next few months.”

Josh Thomas, 21, junior Pre-Pharmacy
“With a new coach maybe this will be a better way of running the offense.”

Anna Lucas, 21, female, senior
“I understand VCU is a stepping stone for him, and he deserves it.”

Colin Smith, 21, male, junior Mechanical Engineering
“I think this will negatively impact the team. I heard a lot of positive things about him. I know he put us in a good direction, my freshmen year we made the NCAA tournament.”

Latosha Hine, 22, senior
On the team: “I think it’ll affect it a lot. Compared to how it was when I got here, there’s a lot of unity and excitement. I thought he was doing a lot.”
On him leaving: “I think it will hurt VCU, because he brought in a lot of ideas, and got a lot of people involved.”

Katy Bon, sophomore World Studies major
New coach: That he or she will take the players and staff we already have and improve upon them in a way only he or she could.”