When Jeff Capel took over the Pitt head coaching job in 2018, one familiar name in the Pittsburgh coaching scene reached out to him: Mike Tomlin.
Tomlin, the Steelers head coach, gave Capel a call shortly after Capel took over the job. Since, the two have built a genuine relationship and have met up with each other numerous times in recent years.
“Since I took the job here, I’ve gotten to know Mike,” Capel said on Monday. “He reached out. There is a genuine friendship there. He is someone, from afar, before I got here, that I admired for the way that he leads.”
Capel has been spotted at Steelers practices several times throughout the past few seasons, including one time when he was hosting a potential recruit, Jahvon Quinerly, for a visit, according to a report by Sean Gentille.
Last year, Tomlin even came by to speak with the Pitt team — a team that ended up winning 24 games and making the Second Rounf of the NCAA Tournament.
“I’ve had a chance to get to know him and pick his brain at times,” Capel continued. “He came and spoke to our team last year before the season. [I am] just an admirer of him as a man, as a leader, and for the job that he continues to do with his organization.”
Pittsburgh’s storied NFL franchise will take on the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium at 4:30 p.m. on CBS.Â
