Report outlines next steps for Tennessee baseball following Tony Vitello departure
By Jacob Moss
Published:
The Tennessee baseball program now finds itself in the market for a new head baseball coach, as reports confirmed on Wednesday that the longtime Vols’ head man, Tony Vitello, has agreed to a deal that will make him the new manager of the San Francisco Giants.
This bombshell report comes just a few months from the start of the 2026 college baseball season and means that the program might now have to scramble to find a suitable replacement.
Mike Wilson of Knox News broke down the decision facing Tennessee athletic director Danny White and the potential paths he can take following Vitello’s departure. Wilson also reported 2 names are strong contenders to assume the title of interim coach:
The first decision facing White is whether he appoints an interim coach or launches into a coaching search outside the normal months in which to conduct a search.
White surely will follow his usual process when it comes to appointing a coach. He typically meets with the team to talk with the players and hear what they value and find most important. He prioritizes hearing from the team’s leaders specifically.
UT has two leading interim candidates on the staff with associate head coach Josh Elander and pitching coach Frank Anderson.
Should White choose to roll with an interim head coach, both Elander and Franklin would be great choices, as they have both been with the program since before Vitello arrived, both joining in 2017.
Anderson has served as the team’s pitching coach throughout his entire tenure. He was also the head coach for Oklahoma State from 2004-2012. Elander has served as associate head coach since 2022.
They understand the players and the program better than anybody, and this could lead to a much smoother transition into whoever White ultimately ends up tabbing as Vitello’s permanent replacement.
