(This story was updated to include new information.)
Tony Vitello has been hired as the manager of the San Francisco Giants after the most successful run in Tennessee baseball history.
Vitello’s decision to leave the Vols for MLB on Oct. 22 came after a frantic four-day stretch in which he emerged as the leading candidate, rebuffed that the deal was done, and ultimately departed the program he took from afterthought to juggernaut in eight seasons.
It is an unprecedented move for an MLB franchise as Vitello will be the first sitting college baseball coach to jump directly into an MLB manager job without prior professional experience.
“I’m incredibly honored and grateful for this opportunity,” Vitello said in a team release. “I’m excited to lead this group of players and represent the San Francisco Giants. I can’t wait to get started and work to establish a culture that makes Giants faithful proud.”
Vitello has been in the picture for the Giants’ job for at least two months, a source told Knox News. The source spoke on the condition of anonymity because the Giants’ pursuit of Vitello was not public.
The source said he met with San Francisco general manager Buster Posey when the Giants played a series against the Colorado Rockies in early September and Vitello was in Denver to see four former players on the two teams. Vitello had an interview with the Giants on Oct. 1 and remained on the radar throughout the following weeks until his eventual hire.
Vitello is replacing Bob Melvin as the Giants’ manager. Melvin was fired on Sept. 29 after two seasons. He went 161-163 with an 81-81 mark in the 2024 season.
“Tony is one of the brightest, most innovative, and most respected coaches in college baseball today. Throughout our search, Tony’s leadership, competitiveness, and commitment to developing players stood out. His ability to build strong, cohesive teams and his passion for the game align perfectly with the values of our organization. We look forward to the energy and direction he will bring, along with the memories to be made, as we focus on the future of Giants baseball,” Posey said in a team release.
Vitello led the Vols to their first national title, winning the 2024 College World Series in one of UT’s three trips to Omaha in his historic tenure. He also coached Tennessee to two SEC regular-season titles and two SEC Tournament titles, sweeping the crowns in both 2022 and 2024.
Vitello, 47, went 341–131 in eight seasons at Tennessee.
Tennessee athletics director Danny White could choose to promote either associate head coach Josh Elander or pitching coach Frank Anderson to an interim coach role if Vitello left. Both have been on UT’s staff since 2017 with Vitello. White also could choose to conduct a coaching search, but the timing would be odd as the college coaching carousel typically is in May and June.
“Congratulations to Tony on this incredible opportunity to lead the San Francisco Giants,” White said in a school release. “We wish him the best as he embarks on this new chapter in his career and thank him for everything he has done to transform Tennessee baseball into a championship program.”
Vitello was hired in June 2017 to take over a dormant Tennessee program. The former Arkansas hitting coach vaulted the Vols into relevance and on the path to excellence. He got UT back to the NCAA Tournament in 2019 for the first time since 2005.
He led them to Omaha two years later in 2021, their first trip since 2005.
The Vols had arguably the best team in college baseball in 2022, winning 57 games and producing a bevy of MLB talent but falling in the super regional. He got Tennessee back to Omaha in 2023 then made history in 2024.
Tennessee ripped through the SEC, winning the regular-season title and the tournament title to earn the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. It reached the CWS, where it rolled to the finals with three straight wins. It beat Texas A&M in the three-game finals to win the national championship and become the first team in SEC history to win 60 games.
Vitello also had been an assistant coach at TCU and Missouri, where he played before entering coaching in 2003.
Vitello earned $3 million annually at Tennessee after signing a record-setting five-year contract in 2024. Vitello’s buyout for leaving for another job is $3 million. The Giants could choose to pay all or part of that. If not, Vitello is on the hook for the buyout.
Former Tennessee star Drew Gilbert is on the Giants. He was traded to the Giants by the New York Mets on July 30 and was called up on Aug. 8 to make his MLB debut.
The Giants have more Vols in their minor league system with pitcher Blade Tidwell, shortstop Maui Ahuna and shortstop Gavin Kilen in their minor league system. Kilen was the Giants’ first-round pick in the 2025 MLB Draft weeks before the Giants got Gilbert and Tidwell, setting the stage to unite Vitello with many of his former players.
Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on X @ByMikeWilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.
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