Report: Tennessee set to lose director of recruiting operations Luke Bonfield to Pittsburgh
Tony Vitello is set to lose a key member of his coaching staff. Director of recruiting operations Luke Bonfield is being tapped as a new assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Pittsburgh, according to a report from D1Baseball’s Kendall Rogers.
Bonfield has spent the last six years at Tennessee. He was an integral part of the staff that helped the Volunteers claim the national title in 2024.
The talented assistant has helped coach Tennessee’s outfielders during his time in Knoxville. He now replaces Brandon Romans at Pittsburgh.
Luke Bonfield initially joined Tennessee’s staff as a graduate student manager prior to the 2020 season. He did so after putting together a productive playing career at Arkansas.
Following his time at Arkansas, Bonfield spent two years playing professional baseball in the independent league. His coaching journey began shortly after.
Luke Bonfield was promoted to Tennessee’s director of player development in September 2021. He transitioned into the role as director of recruiting operations after the 2024 season, spending one year in that capacity before his departure to Pittsburgh.
Top 10
- 1Live
National Signing Day
Intel, updates, commitments
- 2Breaking
Brian Hartline
Expected to be named USF HC
- 3
NIL Battles
Recruits that cashed in
- 4
NSD Matters
HS recruiting still wins titles
- 5Hot
Kansas State head coach
Chris Klieman to retire
Get the Daily On3 Newsletter in your inbox every morning
By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms, and use of my personal information described therein.
It’ll be interesting to see how Vitello opts to replace Bonfield. Will he hire from outside or opt to promote from within?
Tennessee loses a pitcher to the portal, too
While Luke Bonfield will depart from the coaching staff, another member of the Tennessee squad in 2025 is also gone via the transfer portal. Pitcher Andrew Behnke has committed to Georgia out of the NCAA transfer portal.
Behnke had a 2-0 record out of the bullpen while finishing the year with a 5.11 ERA across 12.1 innings of work. That came after an impressive sophomore season in 2024 when he went 3-1 with a 3.54 ERA across 28 innings in 23 relief appearances.
Andrew Behnke entered the 2025 season on the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association’s Stopper of the Year preseason watch list. He will have one year of eligibility remaining.