Tennessee AD Danny White releases statement on Tony Vitello, San Francisco Giants deal

With Tennessee baseball coach Tony Vitello accepting the managerial job with the San Francisco Giants, the Vols need a new head coach. AD Danny White released a statement on the move announced Wednesday.

As of now, there’s no official decision on who will take over the Tennessee baseball program. D1 Baseball’s Kendall Rogers relayed Josh Elander is the favorite amongst who those inside the baseball team want to be the next coach.

“Congratulations to Tony on this incredible opportunity to lead the San Francisco Giants,” White of Vitello. “We wish him the best as he embarks on this new chapter in his career adn thank him for everything he has done to transform Tennessee baseball into a championship.

“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. Out focus is on our players and coaching staff while finalizing the next steps in this evolving process.”

Vitello took over as coach of the Vols in 2018, quickly turning them into a perennial contender during his eight seasons at the helm. Now he gets his shot in the major leagues as he’ll attempt to turn around a San Francisco team that has missed the playoffs for four straight seasons.

Vitello leaves Tennessee with an overall record of 341-131, including a 125-85 mark in conference play. He also won two regular season SEC titles, one SEC Tournament title and led them to three appearances in the College World Series.

The highlight of those trips to Omaha came in 2024, when the Vols won their first CWS title in program history. Tennessee earned the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament that season and cruised through the Regional and Super Regional rounds before running into Texas A&M in the final series. They won two of those contests, including the decisive Game 3 by a score of 6-5.

Tennessee was the first head coaching job for Vitello, who spent several seasons as an assistant for multiple programs before getting the opportunity. His previous stops were at his alma mater of Missouri (2003-10), TCU (2011-13) and Arkansas (2014-17).