KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) – The Tony Vitello era of Tennessee baseball has come to an end, sources at the University of Tennessee confirmed to WVLT Sports.
After eight seasons as Tennessee’s head coach, Vitello is set to become the manager of Major League Baseball’s San Francisco Giants, marking an unprecedented move in baseball history.
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The 47-year-old Vitello has become the first college coach to immediately become a manager without any prior professional experience.
The University of Tennessee’s athletics director, Danny White, released a statement shortly after the news broke, calling Vitello a Volunteer legend:
Congratulations to Tony on this incredible opportunity to lead the San Francisco Giants. We wish him the best as he embarks on this new chapter in his career and thank him for everything he has done to transform Tennessee baseball into a championship program.
The growth of baseball on Rocky Top has been remarkable, culminating in the 2024 National Championship. We are committed to continuously investing in the program at a championship level across all areas. Furthermore, the upcoming $109 million renovation of Lindsey Nelson Stadium will transform it into one of the premier baseball venues, providing an exceptional experience for the best fans in all of sports.
Our focus is on our players and coaching staff while finalizing the next steps in the evolving process.
Vitello earned himself a contract extension in August of 2024 that came with not only a substantial raise, but a hefty buyout clause. Unless the coach made some sort of deal with Tennessee or the Giants — and there’s been no official word on whether or not that has happened — Vitello is on the hook for $3 million.
Tennessee experienced a baseball resurgence under the Missouri-native. Vitello posted a 341-131 record, including a 125-85 mark in SEC play.
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The coach, who has already gone down in Vol history with the program’s first-ever national championship in 2024, didn’t take long to start earning accolades when he arrived on Rocky Top in 2017.
He would see his “BaseVols” reach a top-25 ranking in his first year. Vitello would also lead the team to its first 40-win season since 2005 in his second season, then go on to reach 300 career wins faster than any other Tennessee coach ever had. Under his leadership, the Vols made three College World Series appearances in 2021, 2023 and, of course, 2024.
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That performance, bolstered by two SEC regular season titles and two SEC tournament championships, helped Vitello’s Tennessee become a master recruiter. The program developed 10 first-round picks during Vitello’s time at Tennessee.
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Many of those recruits were present for a major career moment of Vitello’s: heading up a player-packed championship celebration parade attended by thousands in downtown Knoxville.
In seven full seasons, Vitello’s teams won 40 or more games six times, including a 60-win season in 2024, which culminated in that first national championship.
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