Tony Vitello set down the clipboard he has used at Tennessee baseball practices for years.
The former Vols coach didn’t need it anymore.
He gathered a stack of papers, handwritten notes scrawled on the back of the daily schedules from his final days before leaving to become the San Francisco Giants’ manager.
“It was selfish,” Vitello said. “It was personal reasons. I have always tried to be a good teammate, but I feel like I made a selfish decision that was one I needed to make. It was the right decision.”
Vitello wanted to issue a statement in the aftermath of his decision. He did so by speaking to a small handful of media members on Oct. 23. He took a few questions, but only answered ones regarding coaching Tennessee baseball and and his life in Knoxville. He will address the media regarding his new job with the Giants on Oct. 30 in San Francisco.
Vitello’s candidacy went public on Oct. 18, which he insisted he had nothing to do with. One of his assistant coaches alerted him news was about to come out and he needed to tell the players before they got to their phones. He informed his players, but stressed that nothing was finalized.
“Saturday, there was no decision mode whatsoever,” Vitello said.
In a way, Vitello was thankful his candidacy became public because it forced conversations that he felt indebted for. But it started a whirlwind all the same.
The process with the Giants picked up on Oct. 19 and gained momentum in the following days. Vitello revisited the discussion with his players after an Oct. 21 scrimmage to “talk them through some things.”
He leaned on a wide range of people for feedback as he weighed his future — to stay at Tennessee or make history as the first MLB manager to jump from college to the big leagues without any prior experience.
“There was a lot of factors,” Vitello said. “There is a brand new stadium I am going to miss out on. Anything to do with San Francisco, anything to do with Tennessee — at the end of the day it was not relevant to the decision.”
Vitello was still weighing his choice on Oct. 21 when Tennessee fans chose to show up to a scrimmage to support him. They chanted for their coach that won the 2024 College World Series. Students at a fraternity behind the stadium hung a sign encouraging him to stay. He acknowledged the adoration, ending his final full day as the coach with a thank you to those who attended.
It was a small act, but it reflected what happened in Vitello’s tenure. He went from unknown coach on campus to rockstar status as he elevated the program to stand among the nation’s elite.
“If that is the last time I ever stepped foot on this campus or this field as an employee or as a Vol wearing our orange, I’m just so thankful for the people that showed up,” Vitello said. “It will forever be ingrained in my memory and it made what was the last day on the job technically, very, very special.”
Vitello came back to Lindsey Nelson Stadium for the final time as the Tennessee coach on Oct. 22. He snuck into the stadium discreetly to meet with his coaching staff, some of whom have been with him for his entire eight-year tenure and others who played for him before joining him. Then he met with his players, making good on a promise they would hear from his first if he was about to accept the job.
He didn’t feel like had all the boxes checked yet to make a decision to stay or go yet. He did after those meetings in which he was blown away by the support.
“The encouragement to do what was in my heart was next level,” Vitello said. “The freedom I felt from the other coaches and the players that I didn’t know was there and didn’t expect to be there on the level that it was.”
Vitello made his choice and departed. Tennessee announced his choice shortly after. The Giants followed suit, announcing the loved Vol as their next manager.
The Vols came out to the field and practiced on a voluntary workout day. Construction work at Lindsey Nelson Stadium continued as the ballpark looks nothing like it did when Vitello was introduced on the field in June 2017.
Vitello left, but he isn’t leaving everything behind.
“I think if someone truly invests in being a VFL for any amount of time, they are just that — a Vol For Life,” Vitello said. “That is what I am in my mind. One thing we coach our players up on is peace of mind and you make your own decisions. You create your own definition of success. For me, I am a VFL.”
Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on X @ByMikeWilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.