By Michael Kinney
September 11, 2006 02:41 pm
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Despite his age, Jeff Capel would be considered “old school.” Like short shorts and knee-high socks, he has the look and feel of a long-gone era in sports.
In a time when younger coaches are looking to make a name for themselves by forgetting the past, the 31-year old Capel is looking to embrace it. He uses words like excellence, passion and commitment — words that long ago were a sign of success.
That’s why Capel may be the perfect fit for a program that has only known success for nearly three decades. It also was why the University of Oklahoma was such a good fit for a coach in search of program that had the history he could build upon.
“What stood out to me about Oklahoma was obviously the tradition; the tradition of the basketball team and the tradition of the athletic department,” Capel said. “With the Big 12 being a premiere conference in basketball and being at a place you can recruit nationally and compete for a national championship.”
Capel took over the Sooners’ basketball program earlier this year after former coach Kelvin Sampson resigned to take a position with the University of Indiana. And he made it clear on day one what his intentions were.
“The bottom line is that I’m here for one thing,” Capel said at his first press conference. “President Boren talked about excellence, and that’s something that’s been a part of my life since I can remember. I grew up in a family that demanded excellence in everything. As a player and as a student, something I would try to do is be excellent.”
That is the old-school way of thinking in Capel coming out. It is an attitude he was brought up with growing up in Fayetteville, N.C., under the tutelage of his father, Jeff Capel Jr., who was an eight-year Division I head coach at Old Dominion and North Carolina A&T.
He attended Fayetteville High School before earning a ride to Duke University, where he played under coach Mike Krzyzewski.
Capel got his first coaching job in 2002. He led Virginia Commonwealth to an 18-10 record in his first season and improved to 23-8 the next year.
But the early going was not a bed of roses. Because of his youth, Capel said, he created a little friction among the coaching fraternity. And it was an established coach who helped ease the transition.
“When I got into the coaching profession, I was 27,” Capel said. “I was not very popular among the other coaches I guess because to them I had not paid my dues. (Kelvin) Sampson was a guy that was very friendly and helpful to me. That is something I appreciated.”
However, despite only having four years of head coaching experience, Oklahoma had no problems handing the reins of the program over to Capel.
“I really felt, along with President Boren and our regents, that when we met with Coach Capel that we found the best possible person to accept, take and carry the successful legacy of Oklahoma basketball to a new level in it’s new era,” said OU Athletic Director Joe Castiglione.
With 2006 being the 100-year anniversary of Oklahoma basketball, Capel comes at the right time, in many respects. With the program under scrutiny frm the NCAA for past violations and after falling short of reaching the team’s potential the past few years, Capel has a chance to remake the program.
“You want to change everything and make it your own. Put your imprint on the program,” Capel said. “But you don’t want to step on any toes. It’s my job to be the caretaker of the program; it’s our program. I say ‘our’ because everyone that has ever put on a uniform or coached on the sideline is part of the program.”
The change Capel is looking for not only will come with the players, but also with the community.
“My philosophy is we want to play hard and put ourselves in a position not to just win games, but win people,” Capel said. “Be something the people can be proud of. Make a connection with them. That has always been my philosophy. I feel if you play together and have a passion to play, you can do it.”
Capel already has experienced the enthusiasm local fans have for their athletics and schools. It’s something he is embracing.
“Norman is a cool place,” Capel said. “It’s a small town. A college town. The people are incredibly friendly. I like the passion they have for OU. It’s great to be part of that. I am a guy that likes to see people that have a passion for what they do.”
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