After days of speculation and anxiety, the worst fears for Tennessee baseball fans have come to fruition — Tony Vitello is gone.
Sixteen months after leading the Vols to their first-ever national championship, the Tennessee baseball coach is leaving Knoxville to become the new manager of the San Francisco Giants, with sources confirming the news to Mike Wilson of Knox News.
Over his eight seasons, Vitello transformed the Vols from a middling SEC program into a national powerhouse. He helped lead Tennessee to three College World Series appearances, two SEC regular-season championships and two SEC tournament titles. The undeniable apex of his decorated tenure came in 2024, when the Vols beat Texas A&M to win the College World Series championship.
He becomes the first-ever sitting college baseball coach to jump directly to MLB with no prior professional coaching experience.
The move raises no shortage of questions, from how Vitello will fare in the majors to who Tennessee will get to replace him, especially with the start of the Vols’ 2026 season just four months away.
For now, though, fans and media members from around the country are reacting to the news of Vitello’s departure. Here’s a sampling of that reaction:
Social media reacts to Giants hiring Tony Vitello
Legendary run by Tony Vitello at Tennessee
-52 Players Drafted
-10 First Round Picks
-341 Wins
-2 SEC Regular Season Titles
-2 SEC Tournament Titles
-5 Regional Championships
-3 College World Series Births
-1 National Championship
Thank you, Tony🙏 pic.twitter.com/yGVggurCNd
— More Important Issues (@More_Issues) October 22, 2025
Thank you, Tony Vitello
– 2 SEC Regular Season Titles
– 2 SEC Tournament Titles
– 3 CWS appearances
– 1 CWS Championship
– 52 Players Drafted
– 10 First Round Picks pic.twitter.com/IiuowCR5Zg
— Rocky Top Now (@rockytopnow) October 22, 2025
The fact it took Tony Vitello 3-4 days to make this decision tells you how tough it was for him to leave Tennessee. Most baseball lifers are jumping at that opportunity in a quick minute.
— zach ragan (@zachTNT) October 22, 2025