Former Old Dominion coach Jeff Capel Jr. dies of ALS
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (AP) Former Old Dominion and Fayetteville State coach Jeff Capel Jr. has died, less than two years after being diagnosed with ALS.
Fayetteville State Chancellor James A. Anderson said family members told him of Capel's death Monday. He was 64.
Anderson called Capel one of the school's ''most respected alumni and former coaches'' in a statement.
Capel was diagnosed with ALS in the spring of 2016 by doctors at Duke University. His son - Duke associate head coach Jeff Capel III - revealed the diagnosis in a first-person story written in January for The Players Tribune.
The elder Capel coached seven seasons at Old Dominion from 1994-2001, taking the Monarchs to two NCAA Tournaments.
Capel also spent one year at North Carolina A&T and four seasons at Division II Fayetteville State, and assisted with the Charlotte Bobcats (2004-11) and Philadelphia 76ers (2011-13).
''`Big Jeff' was an amazing role model for his sons as a coach, but even more as a father and as a man,'' North Carolina coach Roy Williams said. ''He was a person I had a great deal of respect for and proudly considered a friend.''
Capel's two sons were Atlantic Coast Conference-caliber players who went into coaching.
Jeff Capel III played at Duke in the 1990s before starting a coaching career that included stops at Virginia Commonwealth and Oklahoma before returning to his alma mater to serve as Mike Krzyzewski's right-hand man. Jason Capel played at rival North Carolina from 1998-2002 and coached four seasons at Appalachian State.
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