KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WCYB) — Tennessee Volunteers head baseball coach Tony Vitello is leaving Knoxville to become the next San Francisco Giants manager, the university confirmed Wednesday.
“I’m incredibly honored and grateful for this opportunity,” Vitello said in a statement. “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.”
“Congratulations to Tony on this incredible opportunity to lead the San Francisco Giants,” Tennessee Athletic Director Danny White said in a statement. “We wish him the best as he embarks on this new chapter in his career and thank him for everything he has done to transform Tennessee baseball into a championship program.
Vitello had been the head coach at Tennessee since 2018. He took the Vols to the College World Series three times and won the National Championship in 2024.
Vitello is the first MLB manager to come directly from a college program without any professional coaching experience.