Tennessee is in the process of filling its vacant baseball head coach position after Tony Vitello left the Vols to become San Francisco’s manager in MLB.
Tennessee vice chancellor and director of athletics Danny White named assistant coach Frank Anderson as the Vols’ interim head coach, while associate head coach and recruiting coordinator Josh Elander is a candidate for the job.
White discussed Tennessee’s search after Vitello’s departure.
“We are going to conduct a national search and expect a ton of interest because of what Tony Vitello and his staff, and our fan base, and everyone has built here,” he said. “Obviously, a little bit unique time of year, I’m going to work as fast as I can and get through this process and eliminate the uncertainty that our players are feeling right now as quickly as possible.”
White also discussed if there is anything specific he is looking for in a candidate.
“Nothing specific,” White said. “The first data point for me will be hearing more directly from that leadership group of the student athletes, what they are experiencing right now. A lot of times, when you go into a coaching search, it’s because the team isn’t having the kind of success you want to have, so how do we make things better?
“But we’re obviously 18 months removed from a national championship and just lost our coach to the big leagues for the first time in the history of college baseball, so we have a positive momentum and a good thing going. I still want to hear their perspective, learn from that and then go into the process, but I don’t have anything particular in mind.”
Following Vitello being hired by the Giants in MLB, Vols Wire looks at potential and ideal candidates to become Tennessee’s next baseball head coach.
Tennessee baseball hot board head coach candidatesJosh Elander
Elander has served as Tennessee’s associate head coach and recruiting coordinator since 2022. He was the Vols’ associate head coach and recruiting coordinator from 2018-22. Elander was also a volunteer assistant coach in 2017 at Arkansas and served as a student assistant at TCU in 2016.
Frank Anderson
Anderson has served as Tennessee’s assistant coach since Vitello’s arrival in 2018. He was an assistant coach at Houston from 2013-17 prior to Tennessee. Anderson served as Oklahoma State’s head coach from 2004-12, compiling a 329–208 record.
Anderson guided Oklahoma State to six NCAA Tournament regional appearances and a 2007 NCAA Tournament super regional. Oklahoma State won the 2004 Big 12 Tournament championship during his first season as head coach.
He served as an assistant coach at Texas (2000-03), Texas Tech (1990-99), Howard College (1987-89) and Emporia State (1984-87).
Ross Kivett
Kivett returned to Tennessee in 2025 as an assistant coach. He also served as a volunteer assistant coach at Tennessee from 2018-21 before leaving for Houston.
Kivett left Tennessee following the conclusion of the 2021 season and accepted a full-time assistant coaching position with the Cougars.
“The secret sauce, if any, to our program is that we have some of the best assistant coaches and support personnel in college baseball,” Vitello said in 2021 after Kivett’s departure. “It has become a routine for those folks to receive outside offers since we have been in Knoxville.
“Due to NCAA limits on two paid assistants in baseball, the one thing we can’t offer Ross right now is a full-time position with benefits. Houston could do that. We are happy to see one Vol rewarded for his efforts and success. We are equally excited to see another Vol move up to fill in the void left behind.”
Chris Burke
Burke played for the Vols from 1999-2001, helping guide Tennessee to the 2001 World Series. He was the tenth overall selection in the 2001 MLB draft by the Astros. He played for Houston (2004-07), Arizona (2008) and San Diego (2009) in MLB.
Gregg Wallis
Wallis was hired as Grand Canyon’s head coach in July 2022, replacing Andy Stankiewicz who was hired as USC’s head coach. He won the WAC regular-season championship and was named WAC Coach of the Year in 2023 and 2024.
Wallis served as an assistant coach at Grand Canyon from 2014-22. He went to Grand Canyon from Tennessee after serving as the Vols’ director of baseball operations and volunteer assistant coach from 2011-13.
“I got here in the summer of 2013 and I have been here until this summer,” Wallis told Vols Wire in 2023. “I actually took a job at Ohio State for three weeks with coach (Bill) Mosiello, who was at the University of Tennessee with me. Coach Stankiewicz got the SC job and Grand Canyon called me to come back here, so I have been here 10 years with a little three week stay at Ohio State.”
Bill Mosiello
2026 will mark Mosiello’s second season as TCU’s hitting and associate head coach. He was Ohio State’s head coach from 2023-24, guiding the Buckeyes to their first Big Ten Tournament appearance since 2019.
Mosiello coached at Tennessee in two previous stints. He was the Vols’ recruiting coordinator and hitting instructor from 2012-13. From 1993-94, Mosiello helped the Vols claim consecutive SEC championships and developed Todd Helton and R.A. Dickey.
Mark Wasikowski
Wasikowski has served as Oregon’s head coach since 2020, compiling a 206–106 record and five NCAA Tournament regional appearances. He also served as Purdue’s head coach from 2017-19. Wasikowski has SEC experience as an assistant coach at Florida (1999-2001).
Cliff Godwin
Godwin has been East Carolina’s head coach since 2015. He has compiled a 432–214–1 record and advanced to four NCAA Tournament super regionals. Godwin has SEC coaching experience as an assistant at Ole Miss (2012-14), LSU (2007-08) and Vanderbilt (2005).
Dan Fitzgerald
Fitzgerald has been Kansas’ head coach since 2023 and is 99-72 in three seasons. The Jayhawks appeared in a NCAA Tournament regional last season and Fitzgerald was named 2025 Big 12 Coach of the Year. He has SEC experience at LSU in 2022 as the Tigers’ assistant and recruiting coordinator.
Dan Skirka
Skirka has served as Murray State’s head coach since 2019, guiding the Racers to a 206–151 record and the 2025 College World Series. He was an assistant coach at Walters State Community College in Morristown, Tennessee from 2010-14.
Skylar Meade
Meade has been Troy’s head coach since 2022. He has guided the Trojans to a 148–89 record and a NCAA Tournament regional in 2023. Meade has SEC experience at South Carolina, serving as the Gamecocks’ pitching coach from 2018-21. He was also Middle Tennessee State’s pitching coach from 2013-14.
Dan Heefner
Heefner has served as Dallas Baptist’s head coach since 2008. He has a 693–344–1 record and appeared in 11 consecutive NCAA Tournament regionals. Prior to becoming head coach, Heefner was an assistant at Dallas Baptist (2005-07), Creighton (2004) and Northern Iowa (2002-03).
Patrick Hallmark
Hallmark has been head coach at UTSA since 2020. He has compiled a 187–111 record. Hallmark guided UTSA to a 2025 AAC regular season championship and a NCAA Tournament regional, while earning AAC Coach of the Year honors.
Hallmark was also Southland Coach of the Year in 2019 at Incarnate Word. He coached in the SEC as an assistant at Missouri in 2017.
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