Josh Elander. Photo By Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics
TCU coach and former Horned Frog pitcher Kirk Saarloos gave Josh Elander a congratulatory message online after he was named the next head coach of the Tennessee Baseball program on Saturday afternoon.
Elander played three years as a collegiate athlete at Texas Christian and spent one season as an assistant on the Horned Frogs’ staff in 2016.
“Big congrats to Josh Elander!” Saarloos wrote in a statement. “Pumped to see a former Frog getting his shot as the head coach at Tennessee. Nobody’s worked harder or earned it more. Proud of you, brother – Once a Frog, always a Frog!”
Congrats @josh_elander! https://t.co/laebGyGKnM pic.twitter.com/PB4EM3zuFk
— TCU Baseball (@TCU_Baseball) October 25, 2025
More From RTI: The Best Quotes From Former Tennessee Baseball Players About Josh Elander
Elander, who has been an assistant coach, recruiting coordinator, and associate head coach for the Vols since the 2018 season, was named the 26th head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday afternoon. He was promoted to the head role after the departure of former coach Tony Vitello to the San Francisco Giants earlier in the week.
“(Elander) is the glue over there, man,” former Tennessee utility man Jared Dickey told RTI. “He does almost everything, and it’s so behind the scenes because he just doesn’t get enough credit. He runs the offense. He runs the catchers.”
For more on Josh Elander’s role at Tennessee on the Vitello staff and what it means for the Vols moving forward, click here.