Tony Vitello hawks loogie mid-ESPN interview, broadcast references NSFW viral moment

Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello isn’t afraid to be himself, and in-game interviews are no exception. During a chat with ESPN commentators Tom Hart, Kyle Peterson, Chris Burke in the bottom of the third inning, Vitello hawked up a loogie mid-conversation.

“Sorry,” Vitello said. “That was pretty nasty.”

Hopefully, no weak-stomached viewers were tuned in for Vitello’s interview. Despite the awkward start to the conversation, Vitello’s team picked up their first two hits of the game while he was on the headset. After the Volunteers’ second hit of the inning, the broadcasting team jokingly asked if Vitello wanted to keep talking to them. Alas, Vitello took his chances and cut the interview.

“No, because I’ll say something stupid by the end of the game, and I’ll end up with no job, hanging out with you guys,” Vitello said. “But I do appreciate you all. You all are a good time to have around.”

Tony Vitello: "Sorry that was pretty nasty." 😂 pic.twitter.com/vQHL4IKlSw

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 8, 2025

Obviously, Vitello is comfortable with the crew. They didn’t let the hilarious moment go undiscussed either after Vitello stepped away from the headset.

“We got a full hawk tuah,” one of the commentators said, referencing the popular internet meme.

With Vitello’s focus back on the game, the Volunteers scored a run and cut Arkansas’ lead to 2-1. The Razorbacks won Game 1 of the Fayetteville Regional on Saturday. Thus, Tennessee must win today to force a Game 3 and keep its postseason hopes alive.

The Volunteers were on the cusp of a comeback win against Arkansas on Saturday after scoring one run in the ninth inning. However, they ultimately couldn’t even the score. After the game, Tony Vitello reflected on his team’s performance.

“It’s good to see Marcus (Phillips) compete again. Regardless of what the scoreboard says — and it was a good outing numbers wise today — he just keeps getting better every time,” Vitello said. “It’s good to see Stone (Lawless). I mean, all his teammates were fired up for him that he got an opportunity to play.

“What’s not a positive is we were one short on the scoreboard to keep that thing rolling, so maybe a little extra motivation tomorrow. But obviously the difference, I think a lot of guys were really good out on that field, because there’s a lot of talent, but the difference was (Arkansas starting pitcher Zach) Root.”

As the underdog, Tennessee will need to step up to take Game 2 from Arkansas. After all, the Volunteers are on the hunt to repeat as national champions.