Duke’s Jeff Capel to miss game against Michigan State after the death of his father

Duke associate head coach Jeff Capel III will not be on the bench for Tuesday’s game against Michigan State, a Duke spokesperson confirmed.

Capel’s father, Jeff Capel Jr., died on Monday. He was 64. He suffered from ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. ALS is a progressive neurological disease that causes muscle weakness, muscle atrophy and slurred speech. It has no cure.

Capel Jr. coached basketball for more than 30 years, including stints at Wake Forest, Fayetteville State, N.C. A&T and Old Dominion. He also spent time as an assistant for the Charlotte Bobcats and the Philadelphia 76ers.

Last season, the elder Capel sat on the Duke bench with his son and the team during a game at Cameron Indoor Stadium against Wake Forest, a 99-94 win for the Blue Devils.

The younger Capel wrote about his father’s diagnosis and the effect it had on the family in an essay in The Players Tribune.

No. 1 Duke will face off Tuesday against No. 2 Michigan State in the Champions Classic in Chicago.

This story was originally published November 14, 2017 at 11:05 AM.