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KNOXVILLE, TN – MAY 31: Tennessee Volunteers head coach Tony Vitello celebrates with Tennessee Volunteers catcher Cannon Peebles (5) during the NCAA Division I Regional Tournament baseball game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Cincinnati Bearcats on May 31, 2025, at Lindsey Nelson Stadium in Knoxville, TN. (Photo by Bryan Lynn/Icon Sportswire)
If Tony Vitello finalizes a deal to become the next manager of the San Francisco Giants, it would mark one of the most unprecedented moves in modern college baseball—a sitting head coach jumping directly to leading a major-league club.
As of Saturday evening, no agreement had been completed, multiple sources told Baseball America, but conversations between the sides were described as advanced and likely to conclude soon.
Tennessee, meanwhile, has already begun preparing for the possibility that its most successful coach in program history could be on the move. The university has not acknowledged the situation publicly, but sources said internal planning is underway in anticipation of Vitelloâ€s departure.
Vitelloâ€s potential jump to the big leagues would close the book on one of the most transformative tenures in recent college baseball history. Since arriving in Knoxville in the summer of 2017, he turned Tennessee from an SEC afterthought into the sportâ€s standard of intensity and swagger.
His teams won with overwhelming talent and an unmistakable edge, capped by a national championship in 2024 and College World Series appearances in 2021 and 2023. His success earned him a contract extension through 2029 worth an average of $3 million per year, making him the first college baseball coach to hit that threshold and, at the time, the highest-paid in the country. That deal includes a $3 million buyout.
Potential Replacements For Tony Vitello At Tennessee
If he departs for San Francisco, Tennesseeâ€s challenge will not be finding the next Vitello so much as preserving what he built. The early expectation among multiple sources is that athletic director Danny White will promote from within rather than immediately conduct a lengthy national search. Continuity is recognized as the best path forward for a program that has operated at the top of the sport for the better part of the last four seasons.
Associate head coach and recruiting coordinator Josh Elander and pitching coach Frank Anderson would be the candidates should White elevate from within the program. The two have worked side by side for most of the last decade.
Vitelloâ€s relationship with Elander dates back to their overlapping years at TCU, where Elander played from 2010-12 and Vitello served as an assistant from 2011-13. After being selected by the Braves in the sixth round of the 2012 draft, Elander played professionally until 2015, then returned to Fort Worth to finish his degree and begin his coaching career. He reunited with Vitello at Arkansas in 2017, where he served as an unpaid assistant before following him to Knoxville when Vitello landed the Tennessee job a year later.
Since then, Elander has emerged as one of the premier hitting coaches and recruiters in college baseball. Seventeen of his hitters have been selected within the first five rounds of the MLB Draft, including six—Drew Gilbert, Jordan Beck, Christian Moore, Blake Burke, Gavin Kilen and Andrew Fischer—who went in the first round.
Elanderâ€s eye for talent and player development track record have helped Tennessee sustain one of the nationâ€s deepest lineups year after year. He was promoted to associate head coach in 2022, and those within the program describe him as a steady hand capable of maintaining Tennesseeâ€s identity while putting his own stamp on it.
Anderson brings more experience, having served as Oklahoma Stateâ€s head coach from 2004-12 and in various assistant positions dating back to 1984. Heâ€s regarded as one of the best pitching coaches in college baseball with a particular knack for developing fastballs. Throughout his career, Anderson has coached 103 pitchers who have been selected in the draft, including 10 first-round picks (four at Tennessee). The Volunteers have had at least three pitchers selected in each of the last four drafts, including five in 2025.Â
What Happens To Tennessee’s Roster?
A promotion from within also provides immediate stability during what could otherwise be a volatile transition period. Tennesseeâ€s 2026 recruiting class is one of the countryâ€s best and features four players—Trevor Condon, Cole Koeninger, Landon Thome and Gary Morse—ranked among the top 100 prospects in the 2026 draft class.Â
Elanderâ€s presence in particular would go a long way toward keeping that group intact and ensuring that Tennesseeâ€s future pipeline remains strong. Andersonâ€s experience and success as a pitching coach also anchor the staffâ€s credibility.
A formal coaching search remains possible, but sources indicated Tennesseeâ€s administration understands the importance of momentum and is unlikely to disrupt the programâ€s structure. Naming an interim coach and revisiting the position after the 2026 season is an option, but one that risks creating uncertainty in recruiting and player retention.
Keeping Tennesseeâ€s current roster together would likely be less complicated than some might assume.
A coaching change opens the transfer portal for the Volunteers†players, but outside of graduate transfers, none would have immediate eligibility elsewhere. Most teams nationwide already have full rosters, leaving limited landing spots for anyone seeking to leave. As a result, Tennesseeâ€s core would have a strong chance to remain largely intact, especially if Elander or Anderson lead the program.
How Will This Impact Tennessee’s Future Recruiting Classes?
The greater test will come on the recruiting trail, where Vitelloâ€s magnetic presence and national recognition made Tennessee a destination program. His energy resonated with prospects and parents alike, giving the Volunteers a distinctive recruiting advantage even within the cutthroat landscape of the SEC.
Elander has been central to that success and carries credibility of his own, but sustaining Tennesseeâ€s national reach without Vitelloâ€s larger-than-life persona will require time and proof that the on-field results will continue. The infrastructure is there—from facilities to fan support to resources—but Vitelloâ€s leadership was the connective tissue binding those elements together.
In the broader picture, Tennesseeâ€s situation reflects how dramatically the programâ€s status has evolved.
A decade ago, it was a rebuilding job searching for relevance in the SEC. Now, itâ€s the kind of platform that can vault a coach directly to a major-league dugout. The potential ripple effects of Vitelloâ€s potential move—from staff reshuffling to recruiting shifts—could shape the next phase of college baseballâ€s power hierarchy.
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