Tony Vitello updates Tennessee players on interest in Giants job, per report
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Tony Vitello is reportedly yet to decide on whether or not he’ll leave Tennessee after eight seasons to become the manager of the San Francisco Giants.
Vitello initially emerged as a finalist for the Giants’ job on Friday. He was initially reported to decide a matter of days. After 72 hours, though, that has yet to happen. That’s according to On3’s Pete Nakos, who reports that Vitello has told his team that no decision has been made.
While the practice of college football and college basketball head coaches taking the same roles in the NFL and NBA isn’t rare, hiring a college baseball coach for a management position in Major League Baseball is almost unheard of. In fact, Vitello would be the first to do so without having previously managed in MLB.
Vitello is 341-131 at Tennessee since arriving in 2018. The St. Louis native has led the Volunteers to three College World Series, including the program’s first championship in 2024. In 2025, the Vols went 46-19 but were swept by Arkansas in the Fayetteville Super Regional.
The Giants were 81-81 in 2025, failing to qualify for the postseason for the fourth straight year. The organization opted to part ways with Bob Melvin after the season ended.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
