Tony Vitello reveals how close he came to staying at Tennessee over Giants job

Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello shocked the baseball world when it was announced that he’d be departing the program to assume managerial duties over the San Francisco Giants. By doing so, Vitello became the first ever manager to jump directly from the College Baseball managerial ranks to the MLB managerial ranks.

Vitello completely revitalized the Tennessee baseball program over the eight years he spent there. From 2018-2025, Tony V led the Volunteers to a 341-131 (125-85) record with six NCAA Tournament appearances, five Super Regional appearances, three College World Series appearances and one National Championship.

Before he could really dive into the MLB offseason, Vitello joined ‘Bussin’ With The Boys‘ to discuss his massive move. During his conversation with Will Compton and Taylor Lewan, Vitello revealed that Tennessee Video Coordinator Sean McCann gave him some advice that influenced his decision.

“When the (news) first hit, it was like… any competitor kinda bows up when someone tells you one thing that it’s not true or you don’t believe in it,” Vitello said. “You bow up and wanna do the other. So I got good advice from a guy who was a mentor of mine, Sean McCann‘s his name. He was like ‘dude, just take a timeout. You don’t know where that came from or why.’

Associate head coach Josh Elander will follow Vitello at Tennessee

“And so it was good to kind of take that night and reset and then… you know it’s like these kids I talk to on the phone regarding college decisions,” Vitello continued. “When you’re getting recruited by SEC schools, you can’t really choose wrong. I mean, you’re gonna think it if you’re working at Tennessee and they choose Mississippi State or South Carolina or whatever.”

“The only way you can make a decision right is just move forward and make it the right one. So, no going back now.”

Vitello takes over for former manager Bob Melvin, who led the Giants to a 161-163 record over his two seasons in charge. Vitello’s replacement at Tennessee was then quickly named following a groundswell of support for associate head coach Josh Elander. Elander, who had been with the program since 2018, will become the new head coach in Knoxville.

“From the outset of this national search, Josh emerged as the undeniable top choice,” Athletic Director Danny White said in a statement. “His relentless commitment has helped transform Tennessee baseball into a powerhouse, and we are proud to have him as our next head coach on Rocky Top.”

“His influence inspires excellence in every aspect of our program and we look forward to continuing our quest for championships on the diamond under Josh’s guidance!”

With Elander in charge, Tennessee will look to continue its success in the post-Vitello era.