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Abby Schnable's Pitt sports chat: 03.24.26
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Abby Schnable
1:00
Hey all! Lots to talk about today and I'm excited to get to your questions — let's get into it.
SDWC
1:00
Was the fear of losing the recruiting class the primary reason Jeff Capel was retained?
Abby Schnable
1:03
I think the main reason wasn’t just the recruiting class—Capel’s buyout was $10–15 million and hiring a new coach means paying their salary and potentially another buyout. That’s a huge financial hit across the board and could make it tough for a new coach to succeed right away. Combine that with a No. 13-ranked recruiting class already signed, and Greene probably decided it was safer to keep Capel than start from scratch.
Phil
1:05
Abby, I realize this is a Pitt sports chat, so you can ignore this question about Duquesne basketball. But Hugley  did play at Pitt so there's my connection to your chat. If you will, I'd like to know what happened with John Hugley. When he came back to Pittsburgh and signed with the Dukes, I thought he would be just what the Dukes needed, a major contributor. Then he sort a disappeared, got very little playing time. What happened?
Abby Schnable
1:07
Some people have floated rumors about behavioral issues or Hugley’s conditioning, but I want to be clear that those are just rumors — I haven’t confirmed any of that. I used to cover the Dukes, but I didn’t this season, so I’m only speaking to what’s public: he missed some games early in the season due to a coach’s decision and when he returned, he shared minutes in a deeper rotation. The rest is speculation, so I try to stick to what’s on the record
Mr Ed
1:15
Reading Paul Zeise column on new Pitt women’s BB coach, which he classified as less than overwhelming, is it more a reflection that Administration is focusing bulk of its resources on football and men’s basketball and thus limiting attractiveness of the position or of Greene’s inability or program’s reputation that a more prominent coach wasn’t hired?
Abby Schnable
1:18
First off, I actually like the pick of Robin Harmony — she has a strong track record of building programs and developing talent. I think it’s a bit of both: Greene clearly focuses on revenue-generating sports, but I don’t see this as a failure on his part — the Pitt women’s basketball job just isn’t that attractive, with a lot of work to dig out of past struggles and a program reputation that’s tough to shake. So it’s more about the realities of the job than Greene’s ability.
Bizmarkie
1:25
With Jeff C on the hotseat, how will he be able to attract quality assistants to replace the coaches that were let go?
Abby Schnable
1:29
Even with Jeff Capel on the hot seat, there’s still likely to be a good amount of interest from talented coaches looking to break into or return to the Power 5 level. Capel’s reputation helps a lot — he’s well-known, charismatic and has strong relationships around college basketball, which makes him appealing to potential assistants. Plus, Pitt already has a promising roster and a top‑15 recruiting class coming in, so ambitious coaches can see the potential to make an immediate impact and build something meaningful.
Jeff M
1:31
Hi Abby, what would Capel's buyout be if the move on after the upcoming season?
Abby Schnable
1:32
I don’t have the exact details since that’s not public record, but Capel’s buyout would likely decrease if he’s let go after this season. I’ve heard rumors it could be around half of his current buyout, which is reportedly in the $10–15 million range. Again, those are just rumors, but it seems safe to say it would drop in some capacity.
JohnnyRodz
1:32
Any rumors about the transfer portal?
Abby Schnable
1:34
The transfer portal doesn’t officially open until April 7, so I’d imagine Pitt is waiting to see all the names that go in. They’ve probably been keeping tabs on players who’ve announced their intent to transfer, but I don’t think they’ll start actively reaching out until the portal is open. I’m talking to Jay Kuntz next week, so hopefully I can get a clearer idea of their plan then
bakermay
1:39
How much does a GM, i.e, Jay Kuntz, make?
Abby Schnable
1:45
I don’t have exact figures for Jay Kuntz’s salary — those contracts aren’t usually public — but because the basketball GM role in college is still new and varies widely between schools, there isn’t a standard number yet. Some official ‘general manager’ roles in Power 4 football are making high six figures to over $1 million a year at the top programs, but that’s football and not really the same comparison.

In basketball, most people we do have salary data for look more like front‑office or director roles, and reported ranges for similar positions are often in the low six‑figure range or less depending on experience and responsibilities.

So my best guess — and it’s just an educated guess — is that Kuntz’s salary is likely competitive for a senior staff role in a major program but not head coach‑level money, since the GM role is still evolving and not every school pays big dollars for it yet.
1:54
Well guys, I'm going to go ahead and call it here. I appreciate all the questions and we will be back next week for another live chat!
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