Coastal Carolina coach Kevin Schnall interviewing for Tennessee job

Tennessee Athletics Director Danny White is not wasting any time in the coaching search following the departure of Tony Vitello to the big leagues. Less than three days following the move, White is expected to interview Coastal Carolina skipper Kevin Schnall sometime on Friday, sources indicated to Volquest.  

White said in a press conference with the media on Wednesday the Vols would open a national search for their next ball coach with current associate head coach Josh Elander being an candidate. Volquest mentioned the possibility of a Schnall interview as early as Friday on the General’s Quarters Friday afternoon.

Kevin Schnall went 56-13 in his first season as Coastal Carolina’s head coach, taking the Chanticleers to the national championship series where they lost to LSU. Schnall, who signed a new contract through 2030 with Coastal last week that pays $500K annually, was the program’s associate head coach the previous nine seasons. He was also an assistant at Central Florida (2013-15) after after spending 12 seasons as an assistant at Coastal (2001-12). Schnall was a catcher for the Chanticleers from 1995-99. 

Former Tennessee coach Tony Vitello made history this week accepting the managerial position for the San Francisco Giants, becoming the first sitting college coach with no prior professional playing or coaching experience to be named manager.

Vitello logged a 341-131 record while at Tennessee in eight seasons at the helm. He leaves Tennessee as the third-winningest head coach in program history, behind Rod Delmonico (699-396 in 18 seasons) and Bill Wright (408, 308-2 in 19 seasons). His .722 winning percentage is the best in school history.

Under Vitello’s leadership, Tennessee baseball secured the first national championship in program history in 2024 and made three trips to the College World Series in total. Tennessee amassed five-straight super regional appearances from 2021-2025 and made the postseason tournament in six of the seven seasons there was postseason play (2020 no tournament due to COVID) during his stint.     

Vitello won the Southeastern Conference regular season twice (2022, 2024), the conference tournament twice (2022, 2024) and the SEC Eastern Division three times (2021, 2022, 2024) before the conference shifted away from divisions prior to the 2025 campaign.

The skipper was named SEC Coach of the Year in 2022 and was a two-time Perfect Game Coach of the Year (2021, 2022). Vitello also reeled in Coach of the Year honors from the NCBWA (2021) and ABCA (2024).