The San Francisco Giants have hired Tennesse baseball coach Tony Vitello the 40th manager in club history.
“I’m incredibly honored and grateful for this opportunity,” said Vitello in a team release Oct. 22. “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. I would like to thank Greg Johnson, Larry Baer, Buster Posey, and Zack Minasian for this responsibility and the opportunity to lead this iconic franchise both on and off the field.”
Vitello is now the first sitting college baseball coach to move into an MLB manager job without prior MLB experience.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Tony to the Giants family,” said Giants President of Baseball Operations Buster Posey in the team release. “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.”
Vitello led the Vols to its first national title back in 2024, after defeating Texas A&M 2-1 in the three-game series.
He finished his career with the Vols going 341–131 through eight seasons.
Kamryn Jackson covers high school and college sports for the Spartanburg Herald-Journal, Greenville News, Anderson Independent Mail, and the USA TODAY Network. Please email her at KEJackson@gannett.com for story ideas, updates, stats and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @KamxJack.