Tony Vitello on four-game suspension: 'I probably deserved it'

Tennessee Volunteers head baseball coach Tony Vitello is serving a four-game suspension after a heated incident with an umpire last weekend. It seems the Vols head coach understands the error of his ways amid the four-game reflection period.

“It is what it is. I probably deserved it,” he said.

Things got off to a heated start in the first inning of last week’s Tennessee vs. Alabama baseball matchup. The Crimson Tide stunned the top-ranked Volunteers 6-3 the night before and it didn’t take long before blood began to boil between the to clubs.

Alabama’s Zane Denton hit a line drive off of Tennessee starting pitcher Chase Dollander. The Vols got the out to close out the inning, but Dollander fell to the ground in pain. Tennessee pitching coach Frank Anderson quickly came out of the dugout yelling at the Alabama dugout and had to be separated by the umpires. 

Vitello wasn’t far behind as the Vols trainer was tending to the injured Dollander. Both coaches were arguing with various umpires when Anderson was then ejected. Third base umpire Jeffrey Macias eventually ejected Vitello after a quick back and forth.

After the ejection, Vitello removed his hat and marched toward Macias, bumping him with his chest before being separated from the rest of the officiating crew.

In a twist of irony, Vitello was ejected one year ago to the day on April 16, 2021 in a loss to Vanderbilt. Third base umpire Jeffrey Macias tossed both Anderson and Vitello. Macias was the home-plate umpire in Tennessee’s 6-3 loss on Friday night and in the Vols’ 8-4 loss to Texas in the College World Series last year.

Tennessee currently sits at 34-3 (14-1, SEC) so far this season and is in Gainesville for the weekend for a three-game series against Florida that begins Friday night at 6:30 p.m. ET as assistant coach Josh Elander will continue to serve as interim head coach until Vitello’s return, which is set to be the series finale.

The Volunteers will return to Knoxville for a five-game homestand before taking the road for another SEC series against Kentucky following the series in Gainesville.