JotCast | Abby Schnable's Pitt sports chat: 01.27.26

Abby Schnable's Pitt sports chat: 01.27.26

Abby Schnable

1:00

Hello everyone! Thanks for coming to another live chat. We've already got a ton of questions in the queue so I'm going to get started.

Retire21.

1:00

Yes, or no, Notre Dame will be in the ACC three years from now.

Abby Schnable

1:02

No. Notre Dame’s relationship with the ACC still feels transactional, not committed. The CFP drama — and how upset Notre Dame reportedly was about the league openly campaigning for Miami — only reinforced a reality they already know: the ACC will prioritize its full members when it matters most. That’s the cost of not being all-in.

Fort Mac

1:03

Why do you think the new athletic director has been so quiet since his hiring? If fund raising and increasing the level of interest is so important I would think he would be front and center, especially given the rather anemic results with football and basketball lately.

Abby Schnable

1:05

I think there are a few things at play. First, he’s walking into an environment where football and basketball results have been underwhelming, and it’s a lot harder to be loud and public when you don’t have momentum to sell. Fundraising is about belief, and right now a lot of fans and donors are skeptical.

I also think that the donor pool may not be as deep — or as willing — as it once was. Between NIL demands, rising ticket costs and inconsistent on-field results, a lot of people feel tapped out or hesitant to invest more without seeing a clearer plan or payoff.

Matt from LA

1:05

When is enough, enough? Pitt can’t possibly allow this disaster continue after this year? I don’t care how nice a guy he is, Capel has to go?

KDub

1:05

Enjoy your work Abby! How hot is Jeff Capel's seat right now?

Abby Schnable

1:07

Figured I'd loop these two together. I think a lot of fans are already at the “enough is enough” point. Jeff Capel is a good guy and he cares, but this is year eight and the results just haven’t matched the patience. At some point, accountability has to matter more than intentions.

The biggest obstacle is the buyout. Pitt isn’t operating with unlimited resources, and that contract makes a change harder than fans might realize. When fundraising is already a challenge, writing a big check to fire a coach becomes a real barrier.

Fran

1:08

I see that Pitt is one of the teams that is playing in the volleyball First Serve event in August, but is only playing 1 match while some teams are playing 2. Any idea why only 1 for Pitt?

Abby Schnable

1:09

It’s mostly just how the event is structured. There are eight teams in the AVCA First Serve event — four play two matches, four play one. Pitt falls into the one-match group this year. Pitt also played in this event last year, so that likely factors into the rotation.

Matt from LA

1:11

You would think that Capel would have learned from Narduzzi? It is never smart to criticize you fanbase for booing when the team and especially the coach have performed so poorly!

Abby Schnable

1:11

I understand Capel wants to protect his players, and that’s commendable. But when the team has consistently underperformed and fan interest is already waning, publicly criticizing the fanbase for booing is risky — it risks alienating the very people who support the program. Narduzzi went through a similar situation, and it showed that pushing back against frustrated fans rarely helps when the wins aren’t there to back it up.

1:11

I think Capel is a good coach but has no talent. That said, he is a victim of his own inability to traverse the Portal and recruiting process of high school kids. If he can't do these basic things to bring in players why should Pitt keep him. Find a coach who is an ace portal manager and recruiter. What do you think, Abby ?

Abby Schnable

1:13

I hear you — Capel’s coaching ability is fine, but the program clearly isn’t thriving because recruiting and the transfer portal have become so important. If he can’t consistently bring in talent, it’s hard to justify keeping him long-term. With Jay Kuntz coming in as GM, maybe Pitt can build a stronger support system for recruiting and roster management, but at some point, results have to follow.

Matt from LA

1:13

Thoughts on the Pitt football schedule? Too many weekday night games? No Saturday games in November? No real marquee home matchups?

Abby Schnable

1:15

Honestly, I kind of love the weekday games. They give Pitt a bigger stage with less competition for attention, which is great exposure for the program. Sure, November doesn’t have any Saturday home matchups, and the schedule isn’t loaded with marquee games, but that’s sometimes just how it shakes out. Personally, I’m excited for Georgia Tech on Halloween — that one should be fun.

1:15

I look at what Indiana did with their football program and wonder why can't Pitt do the same, I realize that Mark Cuban has deep deep pockets and will continue to dump large amounts of cash into the IU program. My questions to you Abby are 1. Can Pitt emulate the IU model and 2. Does Pitt have any deep pocket alumni to circumvent and speed up this process ?

Ron Estok

1:15

Can you specifically nsme any heavy hitters that Pitt may be able to get new nil money?

Abby Schnable

1:19

It’s hard for Pitt to replicate what Indiana is doing with Mark Cuban — he’s a rare case of a super‑rich donor actively investing in a program. Pitt doesn’t have someone like that ready to step in, so any boost will likely come from a network of alumni and supporters rather than a single superstar backer.

Pitt does have some notable alumni who could help, like Dan Marino and Larry Merlo (former CVS Health CEO). Historic donors like William S. Dietrich II have shown the potential for big gifts. While none are Cuban‑level, collectively these supporters could elevate fundraising and NIL opportunities if the program takes a coordinated approach and builds momentum.

Matt from LA

1:19

Both Miami and NC State transformed their whole basketball rosters this year, why didn’t or can’t Pitt? Is it money?

Abby Schnable

1:21

Pitt hasn’t transformed its basketball roster like Miami or NC State for a few reasons. Money plays a role — those programs have more resources for transfers and NIL deals — but it’s also about network, timing and recent success.

Without strong momentum or a winning track record, it’s hard to sell top players on coming in. It’s similar to football: recruiting and NIL opportunities drive success and programs that can invest and manage that pipeline effectively tend to transform faster. Until Pitt builds that kind of infrastructure across its sports, these roster overhauls will be harder to pull off.

1:21

Pitt volleyball has reached the top of the mountain several times in the past few years, but yet, can not plant the Flag (NCAA Championship Banner).

Do you think it's time Pitt moves on from the Volleyball Coach for someone who will be capable of planting the flag and not choking on it's threads.

Abby Schnable

1:23

Dan Fisher is a really good coach and has taken Pitt to five straight Final Fours, something only four other programs have ever accomplished. Sure, he hasn’t crossed the championship hurdle yet, but considering how few coaches ever reach that level consistently, he’s done an incredible job. Moving on just because there isn’t a title yet wouldn’t make sense.

Matt from LA

1:23

Does Capel purposely recruit players that can’t shoot?

Abby Schnable

1:25

This one made me laugh. Most of the guys Capel has recruited actually have solid track records as shooters — for some unknown reason, it just hasn’t translated on the court. It could be coaching. It could be because Pitt probably built the offense around Dishon Jackson and without him it's not flowing properly. It could just be because of the pressure.

LoPitt32

1:25

Abby, what is going on with the new AD? We never hear from him, and given the poor state of revenue producing sports like football and basketball, you would think he would at least have some comments of the state of our teams and his plan to improve them. He was supposedly hired because of his ability to raise money, and there has been no indication that’s happening

Abby Schnable

1:27

I actually touched on this earlier, but you’re right — it has been over a year, and fans are justified in wanting more visibility. Part of the reason for his quietness might still be behind-the-scenes work: meeting with donors, evaluating staff and figuring out fundraising and NIL opportunities. That said, after a full year, it’s reasonable to expect more public communication about his vision and plans, especially given how critical football and basketball are to the program’s success.

PAtoNC

1:27

Any idea what MH's might end up on Pitt's volleyball roster as they look to build depth at the position? Any word on how Izzy Starck is doing at Pitt?

Abby Schnable

1:29

I’m pretty sure Pitt will add someone from Europe to help build depth at middle hitter. There’s been some buzz about Italian middle Islam Gunnar. There’s also the spring transfer window, which could bring in other talented players. As for Izzy Starck, I haven’t heard a ton yet, but I’m actually working on a story about her and the other midseason enrollees, so hopefully I’ll have more updates soon.

Matt from LA

1:29

What was going through Demarco’s head when he literally tackled the BC player last week? Frustration? That was an obvious

Abby Schnable

1:30

Honestly, I have no idea what was going through Damarco's head. He didn’t even make a play for the ball — it looked like pure frustration. You’d think with him being an older, more experienced player, we wouldn’t be seeing errors like that.

Fran

1:30

Capel may be a good coach, but he is coaching an offense that needs high level players, like Duke has. Pitt obviously does not have that level of talent, yet he insists on running an offense that is not suited to the talent he has. Given that reality, why should anyone expect better results?

Abby Schnable

1:32

At this point, I’m not really expecting better results. Like you said, Capel’s offense is designed for high-level talent — it worked in 2023 with so many seniors, and Blake Hinson thrived in it. Right now, though, Pitt just doesn’t have enough talent to run that system effectively, so the results aren’t surprising.

Pittguy57

1:34

let’s not keep pretending Capel is a good coach. His offense is non existent, his in bound plays are terrible . Come on with 5 on Staff he can’t even improve foul shooting technique. He is a fraud.

Abby Schnable

1:35

I do think Capel is a fine coach, but a lot of the issues are personnel-related. You can run all the free-throw drills you want in practice, but sometimes it just doesn’t click in a game, and there’s only so much a coach can do in that moment. That said, his offense definitely struggles because it isn’t designed for the players he currently has, which is a coaching problem. And yeah… the in-bound plays have been rough — that part is hard to defend.

Barry

1:35

Do you think incoming class will hold or will they bail?

Abby Schnable

1:37

The incoming class signed on knowing what they were walking into. Capel and the team have struggled the past couple of seasons, so it obviously isn’t a shock. I wouldn’t be surprised if a few end up leaving, but I also think the pitch was probably framed as an opportunity to help rebuild the program and make it better, which could keep most of them around.

Fran

1:38

Given that he doesn’t have that level of talent, shouldn’t a good coach adapt his system to the talent he has, rather than trying to fit a square peg into a round hole?

Abby Schnable

1:40

You would think so. For what it’s worth, I do think Capel’s system could have worked with this group, but my hunch is they built too much around Dishon Jackson and then had to scramble when things didn’t go as planned. When you spend the whole summer and fall building a system, it’s tough to pivot just a month before the season. That said, adjustments are key, and it doesn’t really feel like the team has adapted as well as it could have.

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