ATLANTA — Tony Vitello is back in the South, this time as an MLB manager.
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The former Tennessee baseball coach is leading the San Francisco Giants against the Atlanta Braves in a three-game series from June 16-18 at Truist Park, the closest MLB ballpark to Knoxville. As the Giants took batting practice pregame, some fans filed in wearing Tennessee orange, asking Vitello for autographs and pictures.
“There’s plenty of Georgia fans floating around here, but also there’s so many Tennessee alums and people that have a background related to Tennessee and cheer,” Vitello said on June 16. “We (Tennessee) did a game here where they invited us and it was actually celebrating Vols alumni and the fan base. There was a ton of people with orange in the crowd, which was interesting because it’s not the Braves’ colors. But it’s awesome. Excited to play.”
Vitello is in his first season managing the Giants after leaving Tennessee in October, becoming the first MLB manager hired directly from a college program without any experience as a professional coach. In his eight years as the Vols’ head coach, he presided over the most successful stretch in program history, which included three College World Series appearances and a national championship in 2024.
Josh Elander, one of Vitello’s top assistants, was promoted and recently finished his first season as head coach. It ended in the Chapel Hill Regional of the NCAA Tournament with a 38-22 record. Vitello said that he followed the team “a little bit” and was communicating with the coaches throughout the season.
Vitello mentioned that he always wanted his Tennessee teams to play at Truist Park and was working to set it up before he left. Now he’ll manage the Giants there as they try to reverse a difficult start to the season, holding a 29-43 record. Many of the questions he answered on June 16 related to his team’s ability to turn things around.
For now, navigating the grind of a 162-game season remains his focus. When it ends, though, he’ll have a chance to check back in on the Vols.
“Want to get through this as best we can and hopefully win as many games as we can,” Vitello said. “But definitely will watch some SEC football this fall.”
Emmett Siegel covers Tennessee baseball for Knox News. Email: [email protected]; X: @EmmettSiegel_
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tony Vitello on Tennessee baseball season, return to the South as Giants manager