Tony Vitello made history by becoming the first person to transition from coaching a college program to managing a Major League Baseball team without any professional experience.
Vitello, 47, was named manager of the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday, October 22, after spending the previous eight seasons as head coach at the University of Tennessee. In 2024, Vitello and the Volunteers won the school’s first national championship.
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“I’m incredibly honored and grateful for this opportunity,” Vitello said in a statement. “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.”
Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey called Vitello “one of the brightest, most innovative and most respected coaches in college baseball today.”
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“Throughout our search, Tony’s leadership, competitiveness and commitment to developing players stood out,” Posey, 38, added. “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.”
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For more about the San Francisco Giants’ new manager, keep reading.
Tony Vitello Comes From a Legendary Coaching Family
Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Vitello is the son of Kathy and Greg Vitello, the latter of whom was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2023.
During a 46-year coaching career at De Smet High School in Creve Coeur, Missouri, where he coached both soccer and baseball, Greg reached 14 state Final Fours in soccer, winning state titles in 1991, 1993, 1995, 1997 and 2011. He also won a baseball state championship in 2000.
In his retirement, Greg has enjoyed watching Tony lead by his example.
FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS – MAY 17: Head Coach Tony Vitello of the Tennessee Volunteers talks with an umpire during game three of the series against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Baum-Walker Stadium at George Cole Field on May 17, 2025 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Wesley Hitt/Getty Images
“I get to watch my son perform and help other kids,” Greg told WLTV-8 in June 2024. “And that was my sole job. My sole job wasn’t to win games; my sole job was to help guys get to the next level, whatever that level might be.”
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Greg added, “It might be to be a good father. It might be to be a good baseball player, it might be a good businessman, a good friend. Whatever that next level was, it was my job to get them there. I sit back and I watch my son. We do the same thing.”
Tony Vitello Was a Standout at the University of Missouri
After one season at Spring Hill College, a Division II school in Mobile, Alabama, Tony transferred to the University of Missouri where he played as an infielder from 2000 to 2002.
Tony was a three-year letterwinner and earned Academic All-Big 12 Conference honors during his senior year.
After graduating, he worked as an assistant coach at his alma mater where he helped develop future Major League players including Ian Kinsler and Max Scherzer.
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Tony Vitello Was Suspended for Chest Bumping an Umpire
Tony was suspended for four games in 2022 after an on-field altercation with an umpire.
During a game between Tennessee and Alabama, Tony chest bumped Jeffrey Macias during a confrontation, which led to the coach being ejected and later suspended.
Tony managed to turn the incident into good, partnering with the Wounded Warriors Project and offering chest bumps for a $2 donation to the organization.
The fundraiser was organized by a fraternity at the University of Tennessee during Tony’s suspension period.
Tony Vitello Acknowledged He’s Not for Everybody
While his success at the University of Tennessee was undeniable, Tony’s attitude and brazenness didn’t always rub everybody the right way.
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“I think you don’t know where the line is until you cross it,” Tony told ESPN in June. “And then you make an adjustment. I don’t want our guys, if they give them a coloring book, I don’t want them just coloring inside the lines. You know, come up with something different.”
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – NOVEMBER 20: Tony Vitello attends The 58th Annual CMA Awards at Music City Center on November 20, 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee. Tibrina Hobson/FilmMagic
To illustrate his point, Tony referenced a certain 1997 movie written by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck.
“In Good Will Hunting, the one thing he says to a guy is, ‘At least I’m not unoriginal,’” Tony said. “What a terrible thing, to be forgotten in the locker room. If there’s a team reunion, and no one immediately says, ‘There’s the weird guy,’ or ‘There’s the guy that was a psycho,’ or ‘There’s the guy that made everybody laugh.’ If you walk in and no one’s got anything, that ain’t good. So, for me, I’d rather our guys and our coaching staff push the limits for what competing is, under the realm of what we think. Not what someone else thinks.”
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Is Tony Vitello Married?
No, Tony is not married or in a public relationship.
The coach keeps his personal life close to the vest — even his Instagram is private — but he did tell ESPN in June that he’s “married to the game.”
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