Former Tennessee baseball coach Tony Vitello led the Volunteers to a national title in 2024. Photo By Vol Photos/Tennessee Athletics
The San Francisco Giants will hire Tennessee’s Tony Vitello as their manager, the school confirmed Wednesday.
Vitello’s hire will make him the first college manager hired to directly become an MLB manager without experience as a professional coach.
“Congratulations to Tony on this incredible opportunity to lead the San Francisco Giants,” Volunteers 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, who brought the Volunteers a 2024 College World Series title, led Tennessee to a 46-19 record in 2025. They were 60-13 during their title-winning campaign. Vitello posted a 341-131 overall record as Volunteers coach, including a 125-85 mark in SEC games.
“The growth of baseball on ‘Rocky Top’ has been remarkable, culminating in the 2024 National Championship,” White said. “We are committed to continuously investing in the program at a championship level across all areas.
“Furthermore, the upcoming $109 million renovation of Lindsey Nelson Stadium will transform it into one of the premier baseball venues, providing an exceptional experience for the best fans in all of sports.”
Vitello, 47, previously worked as an assistant at Arkansas, TCU and Missouri.
The Giants fired former manager Bob Melvin in September. Melvin led the Giants to a 161-163 record over the last two seasons, including an 81-81 campaign in 2025.
