Tony Vitello releases statement on becoming manager of San Francisco Giants
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Tony Vitello exchanged one shade of orange for another one on Wednesday afternoon when he agreed on a deal to become the next manager of the San Francisco Giants.
The now former Tennessee baseball coach issued a statement on the unprecedented move, with the 47-year-old Vitello having no prior experience coaching at any major-league level. Vitello made a life-changing move on Wednesday and also made some history, becoming the first college coach to go directly to being an MLB manager without having any previous pro coaching experience.
“I’m incredibly honored and grateful for this opportunity,” Vitello said in his 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 is replacing Bob Melvin, who was fired after the 2025 season ended after managing the Giants for the past 2 years. Interestingly, Melvin had many years worth of experience managing at the major-league level, so clearly the move to pivot to Vitello was a total change in philosophy for the San Francisco organization. Melvin has managed 5 different MLB franchises, while Vitello will be opening a new chapter of his baseball coaching life by taking the big leap to the big leagues.
Tennessee won its first national championship in 2024 under Vitello’s direction, and the Volunteers had a remarkable .722 winning percentage during Vitello’s 8-year tenure in Knoxville. The school announced on Wednesday that pitching coach Frank Anderson would be the Vols’ interim head coach while a national coaching search is conducted.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
