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Oct 22, 2025, 07:52 PM ET

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Kurt Suzuki is taking over the Los Angeles Angels as a first-time manager with a monumental task before him — and perhaps a very limited amount of time to show progress.

Suzuki got just a one-year contract when he became the Angels’ sixth manager in the past eight seasons, general manager Perry Minasian said Wednesday.

Minasian also has one year left on his deal with the Angels, who are mired in a stretch of 10 straight losing seasons after finishing 72-90 last month.

“He’s tied in with me,” Minasian said of Suzuki, the longtime catcher who served as Minasian’s special assistant for the past three seasons after his retirement from a 16-year playing career.

Kurt Suzuki, the Angels’ sixth manager in eight seasons, got a one-year contract that mirrors GM Perry Minasian’s. “I feel like I had to prove myself every single year I played this game,” Suzuki said. “… I’m here because I want to lead this team.” William Liang-Imagn Images

Neither man expressed any worries about the brief window given to the 42-year-old Suzuki, who will be learning his vast new job under unusual pressure. Suzuki’s contract appears to be another unique decision by Angels owner Arte Moreno, whose team hasn’t made the playoffs since 2014 or had a winning season since 2015.

Minasian and Suzuki both said they feel urgency to end the Angels’ decade-long drought, no matter how long their contracts might be.

“I make a joke of it, but I feel like I’ve been playing on one-year deals my whole career,” Suzuki said. “I feel like I had to prove myself every single year I played this game. … I’m here because I want to lead this team. I’m here because I want to help these players. I want to do good for this city and this organization.”

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Suzuki teared up while thanking his wife and three children, who were seated in the front row of his news conference at Angel Stadium, where he played his final two major league seasons before moving into the team’s front office.

Suzuki was chosen by Minasian from a field of candidates that included Albert Pujols. Minasian wouldn’t say how negotiations broke down with the former Angels slugger, who also has never coached or managed in the majors.

At least Pujols has winter-ball experience in a dugout, but Minasian is confident Suzuki will pick up his new job swiftly because he already has done large parts of it as a catcher.

“I never thought I would be comfortable hiring a manager who wasn’t a manager before, but this is a different person,” Minasian said. “I know he didn’t have a coaching title, but even when he played, he coached-slash-managed for different places. He managed a game for a long time. I believe he’s the right person for the job.”

Suzuki is used to achieving great things despite starting from a tough position.

After growing up on Maui, he walked on at Cal State Fullerton and developed into a freshman starter, a College World Series winner and a second-round draft pick by the Oakland Athletics.

He made one All-Star team and won a World Series ring during an accomplished major league career. His lively bat produced 143 homers, but he was even better known for his excellent defense, game management and relationships with his pitchers, including Shohei Ohtani.

“I feel like I was born to do this — to lead players, to help players get better,” Suzuki said. “That’s my personality. I feel like I’ve done it on a yearly basis with 29, 30 pitchers throughout a whole season, trying to understand how to get the best out of each player, and that’s what excites me.

“Obviously you play this game to win also, but what excites me is being able to help kids reach their potential.”

Suzuki replaces Ron Washington, whose option year wasn’t picked up after two losing seasons. Brad Ausmus, Joe Maddon, Phil Nevin and interim Ray Montgomery have also briefly held this slippery job since Mike Scioscia wasn’t brought back in late 2018 after 19 years in charge.

Suzuki skirted questions about Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon, his teammate on the Washington Nationals’ championship team in 2019. Rendon, who didn’t play at all this season due to a hip injury, still has one season left on the catastrophic $245 million, seven-year contract Moreno gave him as a free agent after the World Series.

“I haven’t spoke to Perry about that whole situation,” Suzuki said of Rendon, who will make $38 million from the Angels next year.

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Tony Vitello named Giants manager

\n\n”,”providerName”:”Twitter”,”providerUrl”:” takes over a Giants team that has a lot of ties to the Volunteers program already. San Francisco’s first-round pick (13th overall) in the 2025 Draft, Gavin Kilen, was a star infielder at Tennessee. Its fourth-round pick in ’23, shortstop Maui Ahuna, came out of Tennessee. And two players whom the Giants acquired at this yearâ€s Trade Deadline for reliever Tyler Rogers — outfielder Drew Gilbert and right-hander Blade Tidwell — were Volunteers drafted in the first and second rounds, respectively, in ’22.\n\nPrior to arriving at Tennessee, Vitello filled assistant coach roles at the University of Missouri, Texas Christian University and the University of Arkansas between 2003-17. Outfielder Andrew Benintendi and starting pitchers Max Scherzer, Kyle Gibson and Garrett Crochet are a few of the Major Leaguers whom Vitello guided at the college level.\n\n\”We are thrilled to welcome Tony to the Giants family,\” Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey said in a statement. \”Tony is one of the brightest, most innovative and most respected coaches in college baseball today.\n\n\”Throughout our search, Tony’s leadership, competitiveness and commitment to developing players stood out. His ability to build strong, cohesive teams and his passion for the game align perfectly with the values of our organization. We look forward to the energy and direction he will bring, along with the memories to be made, as we focus on the future of Giants baseball.\””,”type”:”text”},{“__typename”:”OEmbed”,”html”:”

A snapshot of Tony Vitelloâ€s impressive resume during his time at the collegiate level â¤µï¸ pic.twitter.com/2AWsk6Pw8W

— SFGiants (@SFGiants) October 22, 2025

\n\n\n”,”providerName”:”Twitter”,”providerUrl”:” candidates who were linked to the Giants†managerial opening included former Giants catcher Nick Hundley, Guardians associate manager Craig Albernaz, Team USA manager Mark DeRosa and former catcher Kurt Suzuki, who was named manager of the Angels on Tuesday.\n\nVitello replaces Bob Melvin, who was dismissed on Sept. 29 after two seasons at the helm in San Francisco. Melvin, unlike Vitello, came with a wealth of managerial experience, having led the Mariners, D-backs, Athletics and Padres over parts of 20 seasons before joining San Francisco. 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Oct 22, 2025, 01:11 PM ET

After days of negotiations, Tennessee coach Tony Vitello has been named the new manager of the San Francisco Giants, the team announced Wednesday, marking the first time a big league team has hired a manager directly from a college program without any experience as a professional coach.

Vitello — who considered staying at Tennessee, where he won the Men’s College World Series in 2024 — replaces Bob Melvin, who was fired Sept. 29 following an 81-81 season, the Giants’ fourth consecutive year without a playoff berth.

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“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.”

Vitello, 47, was regarded as one of the best coaches in college baseball, a high-energy recruiting wizard who built talent-laden teams and turned around a program that had toiled in mediocrity for decades. He emerged as the Giants’ main target after former San Francisco catcher Nick Hundley withdrew from consideration.

By making Vitello his first managerial hire, San Francisco president of baseball operations Buster Posey is banking on Vitello’s success at Tennessee translating to the major leagues. Chosen over former Baltimore Orioles manager Brandon Hyde and two other former big league catchers interviewed by the Giants — Kurt Suzuki and Vance Wilson — Vitello distinguished himself as one of the preeminent coaches in the country during a two-decade career as an assistant and head coach in college, enough so that the Giants were willing to pay the $3 million buyout on his contract, sources said.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Tony to the Giants family,” said Posey in a statement. “Tony is one of the brightest, most innovative, and most respected coaches in college baseball today. Throughout our search, Tony’s leadership, competitiveness, and commitment to developing players stood out. His ability to build strong, cohesive teams and his passion for the game align perfectly with the values of our organization. We look forward to the energy and direction he will bring, along with the memories to be made, as we focus on the future of Giants baseball.”

The closest facsimile to Vitello would be Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy, who spent 25 years coaching in college before joining the San Diego Padres as a minor league manager. Murphy then spent eight years as Brewers bench coach before taking over as manager in 2024, when he won National League Manager of the Year.

Vitello’s move to the major leagues will come at a far more rapid pace. Outside of a first-place NL West finish in 2021, the Giants have finished third or worse in the division every year since 2017. Beyond the dominance of the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Giants are seen by evaluators as a less-talented team than San Diego and Arizona as well. San Francisco’s core of first baseman Rafael Devers, shortstop Willy Adames and third baseman Matt Chapman is solid — and could be strengthened this winter via free agent spending, according to sources.

Following more than 10 years as an assistant coach at Missouri, TCU and Arkansas, Vitello took over a moribund Tennessee program before the 2018 season and posted a 341-131 record, advancing to the Men’s College World Series in 2021, 2023 and 2024. With a pair of eventual first-round draft picks and four second-rounders, Tennessee beat Texas A&M to win the school’s first baseball national championship last year.

Vitello, whose boisterous personality endeared him at Tennessee and chafed other SEC schools, enters an entirely different realm in MLB. Whereas college jobs are often defined by the success of recruiting classes, major league teams are constructed by baseball-operations departments with the manager relied upon for clubhouse cohesion, in-game decision-making, bullpen usage and daily media interactions.

Tennessee athletic director Danny White issued a statement Wednesday thanking Vitello for elevating the Vols to a “championship program.”

“Congratulations to Tony on this incredible opportunity to lead the San Francisco Giants,” White wrote. “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.”

The reticence of MLB teams to dip into the college ranks for managers is long established and has run counter to the hiring practices of other professional sports leagues. NFL teams have regularly plucked head coaches from the college ranks, and in the NBA, there is no stigma associated with college coaches. Major league organizations have been more open to hiring coaches from college than managers. Pitching coach Wes Johnson left Arkansas to take the same role with the Minnesota Twins in 2019; he left the Twins three years later to accept the pitching coach job at LSU before joining Georgia as its head coach prior to the 2024 season.

In an interview with ESPN in June, Vitello said his reputation as a rabble-rouser did not bother him and that he had no plans to change his approach to coaching, which called for pushing boundaries.

“I think you don’t know where the line is until you cross it. And then you make an adjustment,” Vitello said. “I don’t want our guys, if they give them a coloring book, I don’t want them just coloring inside the lines. You know, come up with something different.”

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ATLANTA — Now that the Angels have hired Kurt Suzuki as their next skipper, it would make sense for the Braves to name Tyler Flowers as their new manager.

Now, that Iâ€ve got your attention with an opening paragraph featuring a couple Braves catchers of yesteryear, here is an updated look at who could replace Brian Snitker as Atlantaâ€s skipper:

David Ross and Mark DeRosa were speculated as candidates throughout the summer months. But as October has progressed, there has been no indication that either can be considered a candidate.

When John Gibbons voluntarily removed himself from the Mets†coaching staff, there was reason to think he might be a fit in Atlanta. The 62-year-old coaching veteran was Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos†manager in Toronto from 2012-15. But a source has said Gibbons isnâ€t a candidate to become the Braves†next manager.

As for Dodgers bench coach Danny Lehmann, his candidacy has seemingly strengthened over the past couple weeks. Lehmann was Los Angeles†advance video scout when Anthopoulos was with the Dodgers from 2016-17. The two have remained in contact over the years that have followed.

With the Dodgers set to begin their World Series battle against the Blue Jays on Friday, Lehmannâ€s candidacy could lead to the Braves waiting into November before announcing their next manager.

Other potential candidates could include Cubs bench coach Ryan Flaherty and Tigers bench coach George Lombard.

Snitkerâ€s bench coach, Walt Weiss, and longtime Braves coach Eddie Perez were seemingly the top internal candidates. But their potential candidacies seemed to die when the Braves didnâ€t persuade Snitker to manage at least one more year.

Kim watch
Many conversations regarding shortstop Ha-Seong Kimâ€s future include this question: Do you really think heâ€ll decline a $16 million player option coming off an injury-marred season? In this instance, thereâ€s seemingly reason to do so.

Letâ€s throw out the .611 OPS Kim produced over 24 games during his stint with the Rays this year. He was a plus defender while hitting .253 with a .684 OPS while remaining healthy over 24 September games for the Braves.

In some years, it might be best for a player in this situation to bet on himself by exercising the option. A productive season could set up even better multiyear deals the following winter.

But this winterâ€s shortstop market is barren, and Kim has a track record. Bo Bichetteâ€s defense will affect his free agent market, and Trevor Story seems likely to remain with the Red Sox.

Some might argue the top target among free agent shortstops is the 30-year-old Kim, who had a 5.0 bWAR in 2022 and a 5.4 bWAR in 2023. He regressed slightly as he produced a 2.6 WAR in 2024.

Kim gained his two-year, $29 million deal with the Rays with the knowledge he would begin the 2025 season on the injured list while recovering from right shoulder (labrum) surgery.

So, with the Braves and Yankees among the teams expected to shop for a shortstop, Kimâ€s agent Scott Boras would seemingly have reason to believe he can get his client an average annual value of at least $16 million with a multiyear deal on the free agent market.

Kim has until five days after the World Series to decide on his option. The Braves have sole negotiating power for about two more weeks.

AFL update
In Saturdayâ€s newsletter, you might have seen the blurb about Luke Sinnard (ranked by MLB Pipeline as the Braves†No. 16 prospect). The 6-foot-8 right-hander, who could fast-track his way to Atlanta next year, has recorded six strikeouts and walked none while allowing just one run over his first five innings in the Arizona Fall League.

Control hasnâ€t been an issue. The 23-year-old posted a 2.86 ERA this year between Single-A Augusta and High-A Rome. He had a 28.3% strikeout rate and an 8.9% walk rate over 16 combined starts (72 1/3 innings). More impressive, he finished his first professional season strong, notching 22 strikeouts and allowing just four earned runs over his final three starts (16 innings).

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Former WWE star Braun Strowman has finally spoken about his recent Twitter clash with Paul Heyman, suggesting the WWE manager might be overly sensitive or perhaps misses having him around. The Monster Among Men seemed confused about why Heyman came at him so strongly when he never directly addressed the veteran wrestling personality in the first place.​

Speaking on TMZ’s Inside the Ring, Strowman explained that

I keep getting this tweeting with Paul Heyman. I never even talked about Paul or acknowledged Paul. I donâ€t know why he got so upset and came at me… Especially because he gets to see my face every commercial break on SmackDown, and letâ€s be for real, if anybody knows about me having a show about ordering everything on the menu, you think Paul would know.

I have no idea (why Heyman wrote what he did about me). I guess I struck a nerve or something. I donâ€t know. I didnâ€t deliberately, intentionally mean to talk to him or any of that stuff. I donâ€t know whatâ€s going on, and maybe heâ€s just sensitive or something or maybe he misses me. Thatâ€s probably what it is. I think the ratings are struggling a little bit and they realize that when The Monsterâ€s on TV, he draws ratings so who knows?†(H/T: WrestlePurists)

Strowman also took a subtle shot at WWE’s current television performance, suggesting that the ratings are struggling a little bit, and they realize that when The Monster’s on TV, he draws ratings. The comment seemed to reference his absence from WWE programming since his departure from the company in May 2025.​

The Exchange Between Paul Heyman and Braun Strowman

The social media back-and-forth began after the October 6 edition of WWE RAW, when Heyman claimed during a segment that Bronson Reed was the only person who ever put Roman Reigns on a stretcher. This statement caught the attention of Strowman, who famously feuded with Reigns back in 2017 and had his own brutal moments with the Big Dog, including overturning an ambulance with Reigns inside.​

Strowman responded on Twitter by posting emojis and calling Heyman ‘Oswald Cobblepot,’ referencing the Penguin character from Batman. The jab was a clear shot at Heyman’s appearance and his revisionist history about Reigns never being stretchered out before.​

Paul Heyman didn’t let the comment slide and fired back with a brutal response on October 8. He wrote a sarcastic message saying he had nothing negative to say about Strowman, but added that he was actually relieved and celebratory to learn that Strowman was still alive, something most people didn’t realize and even fewer cared about. The cutting remark was classic Heyman, mixing fake politeness with a harsh dig at Strowman’s reduced visibility since leaving WWE.

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• 

  Alden GonzalezOct 21, 2025, 01:16 PM ET

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  ESPN baseball reporter. Covered the L.A. Rams for ESPN from 2016 to 2018 and the L.A. Angels for MLB.com from 2012 to 2016.

The Los Angeles Angels have hired Kurt Suzuki as their new manager, turning to the longtime major league catcher with no professional coaching experience to help turn around a franchise navigating the longest playoff drought in the major leagues.

Suzuki, 42, spent 16 years playing for five franchises and won the 2019 World Series with the Washington Nationals. He had spent the past three years as a special assistant to Angels general manager Perry Minasian.

Former Angels stars Albert Pujols and Torii Hunter were also in consideration for the job to replace Ron Washington, who missed nearly half the 2025 season after undergoing quadruple bypass surgery.

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Ray Montgomery, the interim manager during Washington’s absence, was offered a different role with the organization but was not considered for the full-time manager role.

Suzuki inherits a team with plenty of offensive thump and questionable pitching. Shortstop Zach Neto is one of the game’s most well-rounded players, and outfielders Jo Adell and Taylor Ward combined to hit 73 home runs in 2025. Mike Trout is signed through 2030, and catcher Logan O’Hoppe, first baseman Nolan Schanuel and second baseman Christian Moore round out their young core.

Beyond Yusei Kikuchi and Jose Soriano, the Angels’ rotation is in flux, and their bullpen is filled with question marks that hamper their prospects in a division that includes the Seattle Mariners, who fell one game shy of representing the American League in the World Series.

Suzuki spent his last two seasons, 2021 and 2022, as a backup catcher with the Angels and drew rave reviews for his handling of the pitching staff. He now becomes the organization’s fifth manager since Mike Scioscia ended a 19-year run in 2018, following Brad Ausmus, Joe Maddon, Phil Nevin and Washington.

Under Scioscia, the Angels won the franchise’s first World Series championship in 2002 and claimed five AL West titles in a six-year period from 2004 to 2009. That 2009 season marked the last time the organization has won a playoff game. The Angels have made it back to the postseason only once, in 2014, getting swept out of the AL Division Series by the Kansas City Royals. The 2025 season, which finished with a 72-90 record, marked their 10th consecutive losing seasons.

Fans have long been displeased by the ownership tenure of Arte Moreno, who has been chided for getting too involved in baseball operations, not investing enough in player development and a long string of short-sided decisions, most notably not trading Shohei Ohtani before he became a free agent and then deciding not to match his contract offer from the rival Los Angeles Dodgers.

Moreno was seen to be fixed on Pujols as a manager early in the offseason, sources said, but opted to go in another direction after a breakdown in talks.

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The future Hall of Famer and current special assistant to general manager Perry Minasian is no longer in the running for the clubâ€s open managerial position, a source told MLB.comâ€s Mark Feinsand on Monday. The club has not confirmed the news.

Pujols was once considered the front-runner for the position and interviewed with Minasian in St. Louis on Oct. 9, but contract talks broke down. Pujols is already on the clubâ€s payroll, earning $1 million a year as part of his 10-year personal services contract that started before the 2023 season.

Pujols is now considered a candidate for both the Orioles and Padres’ managerial vacancies; the three-time MVP indicated during Spring Training that he wanted to become a Major League manager and believed he was ready for the role.

With Pujols now out of the mix, the Angels still have two internal candidates in Torii Hunter and Kurt Suzuki. Both are former Angels who are currently special assistants to Minasian.

Hunter and Suzuki also spent time with the club down the stretch as the Angels conducted their organizational exit interviews. Hunter spent time in the dugout in several series and said in Texas that heâ€d be interested in managing if the right situation came up.

Suzuki also interviewed for the Giants†managerial opening. Both players also played for the Twins and could be candidates for that club’s vacancy.

Additional candidates who have been linked to the Angels include Rangers special assistant Nick Hundley, Cubs bench coach Ryan Flaherty, former Orioles manager Brandon Hyde and ex-Twins manager Rocco Baldelli.

Angels first-base coach Bo Porter, who managed the Astros in 2013 and ’14, also told The Athletic he has interest in managing again, but itâ€s unclear if the club views him as a candidate. The Angels told all of their coaches they are free to look elsewhere for jobs because the new manager will select his own staff.

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Bannan’s testimony is glowing, but would Rohl be able to do what Martin could not?

The German is younger, has managed significantly fewer matches, and does not have as much experience of Rangers or Scotland as the man he would succeed.

Would all that undermine his ability to handle the myriad problems the next Rangers boss will face on and off the pitch?

“Danny Rohl is 36 years old – you can be as good a coach as you want, but is he going to have the experience of handling all the fires that need to be put out at Rangers at the moment? I would suggest ‘no’,” said former Scotland midfielder Michael Stewart on Sportsound.

“They need a manager who is a genuine leader, a figurehead, and I’m not sure Danny Rohl would have the experience or wherewithal to handle the mess that Rangers are in at the minute.”

And despite’s Rohl impressive CV as a whole, former Rangers striker Billy Dodds – who was part of last season’s interim coaching team – says the optics of appointing another head coach from the English Championship would not wash with Rangers supporters.

“Most wanted Steven Gerrard, but that’s gone now,” he said on Sportsound.

“I just think if you go down that Championship route again – I am not saying Danny Rohl is not a good manager, I’ve heard he is – but it is kind of rinse and repeat, and I don’t think the Rangers fans want that.

“It’s huge that the hierarchy at Rangers take the fans into account on this.”

Given how turblent their nascent reign has been, how important is it that the new ownership get this decision absolutely right? Crucial, says Stewart.

“Can anybody tell me anything that’s happened since the new ownership has come in that’s been positive?” he asked on Sportsound.

“Russell Martin’s appointment – questionable. [Sporting director] Kevin Thelwell’s appointment – questionable. Recruitment – questionable. Hanging on to Russell Martin longer than they should – questionable. And now this Gerrard debacle.

“They are under serious pressure to make sure this appointment is on point.”

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Liverpool are currently a shadow of the efficient machine that strolled the Premier League last season, having looked vulnerable since day one this season in a Community Shield defeat by Crystal Palace at Wembley.

They are riddled with flaws, remarkable given the fact Slot was handed almost £450m to strengthen the newly-crowned champions.

And amid all the understanding that even stellar names signed in record-breaking deals such as £116m for Florian Wirtz and £125m for Alexander Isak require a settling-in period, the bottom line is that neither have produced anything near enough.

Isak was anonymous again, having been chosen ahead of the much livelier Hugo Ekitike, while Wirtz once again had to be content with coming off the bench.

Their proven quality will make Liverpool optimistic their massive outlay will be rewarded, but their contribution so far, at a combined cost of £241m, has not stretched far beyond non-existent.

“Arne Slot has a couple of decisions to make,” former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock told 5 Live.

“Szobozslai looks like the better right-back and suits going into midfield from that position, but does he like being there? No, but for the good of the team it would work better.

“Then Frimpong comes on down the right and has more of an influence in 10 minutes or so than Salah in most of the game. He put two exceptional balls into the box, and Gakpo should have scored from one of them. Ekitike did more when he came on up top than Isak did too.”

For a team that carried an air of calm laced with deadly threat last season, Liverpool now give off an air of chaos and a lack of organisation, especially in their defensive work.

Milos Kerkez struggled badly again, almost scoring an unwitting own goal with a rebound off his face in the second half, which would have summed up Liverpool’s defending.

The debate will continue about whether referee Michael Oliver should have stopped play when Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister lay prone nursing a head injury, inflicted accidentally by captain Virgil van Dijk’s elbow.

Instead, the game continued, Bryam Mbeumo taking advantage of Van Dijk reacting slowly to recover his position, finishing smartly past Liverpool’s deputy keeper Giorgi Mamardashvili.

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(Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images)

Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello has emerged as the leading candidate to become the next manager of the San Francisco Giants, multiple sources confirmed to Baseball America. Vitello, who has transformed the Volunteers into a national powerhouse since taking over in 2018, owns the highest winning percentage in program history and led Tennessee to its first national championship in 2024.

Sources indicated that negotiations between Vitello and the Giants have advanced to the final stages, but are still ongoing.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic was the first to report the interest between Vitello and the Giants.

The move would mark the most high-profile college-to-professional coaching transition in baseball history, pairing one of the sportâ€s most dynamic college leaders with one of major league baseballâ€s most tradition-rich franchises. San Francisco, which fired manager Bob Melvin after the 2025 season, has prioritized finding a leader capable of energizing both its clubhouse and fan base.

Vitelloâ€s reputation as a fierce competitor and elite motivator—qualities that helped Tennessee reclaim its national relevance—made him an especially appealing choice.

Vitelloâ€s tenure in Knoxville has been defined by both success and swagger. Under his direction, the Volunteers became the face of college baseballâ€s new era: aggressive, unapologetic and relentlessly talented. Tennessee has made three College World Series appearances in the last five seasons and consistently recruited at a top-five national level. In 2024, Vitello guided the program to a school-record 61 wins and a national title, solidifying his standing as the premier coach in the college game. Weeks later, he became the first college baseball coach to eclipse the $3 million mark in annual average salary, signing a deal that underscored Tennesseeâ€s intent to keep him long term.

Still, Vitelloâ€s ambitions have long been rumored to extend beyond the college ranks. A Missouri native who spent time as an assistant at TCU and Arkansas before taking the Tennessee job, he has been closely watched by MLB organizations intrigued by his blend of player development acumen and modern leadership style. Several former Volunteers—most notably standout pitchers who thrived under Tennesseeâ€s developmental system—have credited Vitelloâ€s staff for preparing them for professional success, an appealing trait for a major league club seeking to bridge analytics and on-field competitiveness, especially in an era that increasingly accelerates college talent to the major league level.

If finalized, Vitelloâ€s departure would leave a significant void at Tennessee, where the baseball program has become synonymous with his identity and intensity. The Volunteers are expected to move quickly in their search for a replacement, with multiple internal candidates likely to garner consideration. But regardless of who follows him, Vitelloâ€s impact on the program—and on college baseball at large—will linger. He turned Tennessee into a juggernaut, changed the expectations for what college baseball could be and now appears poised to take his firebrand style to the biggest stage yet.

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