Tennessee baseball hot board: Major names crack 10-coach list to replace Tony Vitello

All of a sudden, Tennessee finds itself without a baseball head coach. Tony Vitello is heading out West, joining the San Francisco Giants to become the franchise’s next manager. A shocking move that now required athletic director Danny White to move quickly.

Thankfully, a hot board to replace Vitello has already been put together by Mike Wilson of the Knoxville News Sentinel. Ten names feature, ranging from current head coaches of power conference teams to assistants.

But first, there is a glaring internal candidate for Tennessee. You can check out the full thing here.

Josh Elander, Tennessee hitting coach

If White does not want the coaching search to take too long, atop the hot board is an internal candidate. Maybe even the favorite to land the job in order to keep the ball rolling in Knoxville.

Elander has been with the program since August 2017, spending multiple seasons in Knoxville. There is no head coaching experience on the resume but nobody will know the program like him.

Dan Fitzgerald, Kansas head coach

Fitzgerald kicks off the list of external options. This upcoming year will be his third season in charge of Kansas, making an NCAA Tournament for the first time in 2025.

Many might wonder if SEC experience is needed. Well, Fitzgerald served as an LSU assistant and the team’s recruiting coordinator in 2022, the first season of Jay Johnson.

Mark Wasikowski, Oregon head coach

For all but six years, Wasikowski has coached on the West Coast. Three seasons were spent in Gainesville as a Florida assistant before becoming Purdue’s headman in 2017. But when the Oregon job opened, he took the opportunity.

The Ducks have made it into the field of 64 single year, outside of 2020. Two Super Regionals have come as a result, still looking for the College World Series breakthrough.

Rob Vaughn, Alabama head coach

This one might accomplish two birds with one stone. First, Tennessee hiring Vaughn brings a quality coach to Rocky Top. And at the same time, they would be hurting an SEC foe and direct rival in Alabama.

Vaughn previously worked at Maryland, winning the Big Ten regular season twice and postseason tournament once. If there is any knock, he has never made it out of a regional as a head coach.

Link Jarrett, Florida State head coach

A popular name in the coaching carousel a few seasons ago, Jarrett gets linked to Tennessee. He is currently at his alma mater, rebuilding Florida State and helping them get back to the top.

The past two seasons for FSU saw great results. A loss to Tennessee in the College World Series semifinals eventually helps the Vols win the national championship.

Skylar Meade, Troy head coach

Meade holds an extensive background as a pitching coach, most recently occupying the position at South Carolina. But Troy offered him the chance to become a head coach and Meade jumped at the offer.

Since then, the Trojans have been competitive in the Sun Belt with three top-three finishes. Winning the Sun Belt Tournament in 2023 sent them to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018.

Jordan Bischel, Cincinnati head coach

Not too long ago, Bischel coached at the Division II level. Central Michigan called in 2019, resulting in three postseason appearances for the MAC team. A few years later, Bischel moved to Cincinnati to help the Bearcats establish themselves in the Big 12.

Bischel holds a 65-51 record at Cincinnati, making the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 2025. Getting the Tennessee job would be just another step up in competition level.

Cliff Godwin, ECU head coach

Hard to find somebody who has produced on a more consistent basis than Godwin at ECU. Even more so considering the conference affiliation, the Pirates are one of the best teams out there every single year.

Could this be the time Godwin moves on to take an SEC job? He previously worked at Vanderbilt, LSU, and Ole Miss as an assistant.

Justin Parker, Mississippi State assistant coach

Speaking of assistant coaches, Parker is the first external one to be named. Mississippi State is currently home after also coaching at South Carolina and Indiana.

Parker is the Bulldogs’ pitching coach, drastically improving the team’s ERA when arriving in 2024. Development continues to be impressive as well, getting 28 guys drafted.

Derek Simmons, Virginia assistant coach

If Simmons were to get involved at Tennessee, this would be a second move of the offseason for him. A new staff came to Virginia after Chris Pollard took over. Simmons followed Pollard via Duke.

Right now, responsibilities include coaching the infield and being the recruiting coordinator. Another power conference program assistant for Tennessee to consider.