Just a couple of hours after Vitello’s departure was confirmed, White announced on Wednesday that it’ll be longtime pitching coach Frank Anderson who takes over as interim, while Elander will be a candidate for the job as Tennessee “conducts a national search” for its next head coach.
Though Elander has been the one to take Vitello’s place in-game in the past, it’s the veteran Anderson that’ll be the Vols’ “shepherd,” as White put it, while they hunt elsewhere, gauging interest at a peculiar time, months after the typical coaching carousel window.
“A combination of factors, Frank’s obviously been a head coach, but probably more importantly, as quickly as I’d like to move, I’d like Josh to be able to focus on his candidacy,” White said in his Wednesday press conference.
“He’s kind of in the middle of all this, too. Up until this morning, the entire staff didn’t know the decision that Tony was going to make. He’s been focused on recruiting and coaching his players, we have an incoming class, there’s a lot going on, I didn’t want to throw this on him now while also maybe treating an interview as an afterthought.”
Once the report of Vitello’s departure was confirmed, former Tennessee players flocked to social media to show their support for Elander. It’s clear that he has respect in droves and looks like a top choice for many of those who have spent ample time around him in the program.
It’s no slight to Anderson, though. One of the preeminent pitching coaches in all of college baseball who’s also been in Knoxville for eight seasons, he can palliate the state of affairs that the program now finds itself in. As White eluded to, the former Oklahoma State head coach and longtime assistant at notable programs like Texas Tech and Texas is viewed as a more traditional choice, considering his wealth of experience.