Photo via Tennessee Athletics

Tennessee baseball has its new head coach with Director of Athletics Danny White promoting Josh Elander from associate head coach to full-time head coach.

Elander has spent the last eight years in Knoxville as one of Tony Vitello’s top assistant coaches. Vitello promoted Elander to associate head coach following the 2022 season and he’s turned down other opportunities to stay at Tennessee.

Here’s five things to know about Tennessee baseball’s new head coach.

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Elander Was A High Level College Player At TCU

Elander had a standout college career at TCU from 2010-2012 where he spent all three seasons as a starter for the Horned Frogs. As a freshman, Elander was apart of TCU’s first ever College World Series appearance.

For his career, Elander hit .333 with 39 doubles, seven triples, 18 home runs and 131 RBIs. A stout hitting catcher, Elander’s best offensive season came in his junior year when he hit .314 with 11 home runs, 12 doubles and 43 RBIs.

After a standout college career, the Atlanta Braves selected Elander in the sixth round of the 2012 MLB Draft. He played four years of professional ball before getting his coaching career as a student assistant coach at TCU.

Elander Was Tennessee’s Hitting Coach

Elander has run Tennessee’s offense since Tony Vitello brought the former collegiate standout with him from Arkansas to Tennessee in 2017. Serving as hitting coach, Tennessee’s offenses put up major numbers during Tony Vitello’s tenure with Elander proving to be a major reason why.

“If I had something about hitting that I had a question about, I’m going to Josh,” Former Tennessee outfielder Griffin Merritt said. “My hitting coach. Not that V(itello) couldn’t handle it but V will be the first person to tell you he wasn’t a good hitter. Josh was a good hitter. If I’m going to go get advice about hey, how do I hit this 100 mph fastball that’s moving three feet? I’m probably going to ask Josh.”

The offseason development from Tennessee’s hitters were extremely impressive. Countless players made massive year-over-year jumps including the likes of Blake Burke, Christian Moore, Trey Lipscomb, Jorel Ortega, Dylan Dreiling, Jared Dickey and Kavares Tears.

Elander Is A Stout Recruiter

Tony Vitello was an elite recruiter. But throughout his tenure, anyone inside the Tennessee program would tell you about how big of a role Elander played on Tennessee’s success on the recruiting trail.

Here’s a story from the summer of 2023. Elander was recruiting NC State transfer Cannon Peebles and Clemson transfer Billy Amick up at the Cape Cod League. Wild fires in the northeast cancelled his flight home. Elander rented a car and drove through the night to make it back to Knoxville to go to his pregnant wife’s doctors appointment. He then promptly drove to campus for the start of Amick’s official visit.

Elander’s energy and relentlessness on the recruiting trail has a lot to do with his success as a recruiter. But former Tennessee players also talk about his ability to build relationships and relate with you as a reason he’s so effective on the recruiting trail.

Elander Coaches Tennessee’s Catchers

Elander was not in charge of Tennessee’s entire defense or even its entire infield, but the former standout backstop has been in charge of coaching Tennessee’s catchers.

The Vols’ starting catchers over the last eight years have been Benito Santiago, Connor Pavolony, Evan Russell, Cal Stark and Cannon Peebles. Tennessee has had defensive issues behind the plate at time, Russell was a left fielder who moved to catcher, but they have all around been solid. Problems controlling the run game has also been about Tennessee’s pitchers.

Stone Lawless projects as Tennessee’s starting catcher this coming season while Garrett Wright and freshman Trent Grindlinger could also compete in the roll.

Elander Is Married With Three Young Daughters

Look on the field at Lindsey Nelson Stadium following a Sunday game in recent years, you could have likely found Elander playing with his daughters on the field.

Elander has been married to his wife, Brittany, since the start of his coaching career and has three daughters. All three girls — A.J., Maxie and Ava — were born during Elander’s time at Tennessee. Brittany was pregnant with Maxie during the previously mentioned recruiting trip in the summer of 2023. Ava was born in June shortly after the Vols’ 2025 season ended.

Tennessee’s new baseball coach and his family love Knoxville which is one reason why Elander has turned down head coaching opportunities to stay on Vitello’s staff.