As everyone has seen in the news the last week, former Tennessee Head Coach Tony Vitello has accepted the job to become the new manager of the San Francisco Giants. As a lifelong Tennessee baseball fan, this pained me to see. However, I am happy for Tony and I really hope he succeeds in the MLB. He turned Tennessee baseball from a bottom feeder into a national powerhouse. In my opinion, he is one of the best talent evaluators in all of baseball and brings an unmatched passion to the game. Vitello becomes the first college coach without pro experience to jump directly from college to the MLB.

Thank you for everything.

• 52 players drafted
• 10 first round picks
• 341 wins (42.6 average per season)
• 2 SEC regular season titles
• 2 SEC tournament titles
• 3 trips to Omaha
• 1 National Championship

What’s next for Tennessee?

Josh Elander will become the 26th Head Coach in Tennessee baseball history. The fan base and former players rallied hard behind the long-time assistant. Josh has learned coaching under some of the best names in the sport: Jim Schlossnagle, Dave van Horn, and Tony Vitello. He is ready.

Elander will be a first-year head coach trying to compete in the bloodbath of the SEC. Some may compare Texas A&M’s hiring of Michael Early with this, but I see it differently. Tennessee managed to keep the entire coaching staff. Frank Anderson is one of the best pitching coaches in the sport. Ross Kivett will be staying as well as Strength & Condition coach, Quentin Eberhardt.

What happens with the players?

Players have a 30-day window to transfer after Vitello’s departure, but undergraduate players would have to sit out the upcoming 2026 season if they choose another D1 program. They are free to transfer and play at the other levels, but I doubt they lose anyone. Graduate players are free to transfer to another D1, but Tennessee only has one: LHP Mark Hindy from Duke.

I have zero reason to believe that Elander cannot continue the recruiting success. During Tony’s tenure, Tennessee baseball had had a strong pipeline in California. The Vols currently have the top 5 classes scheduled for 2026 & 2027. They currently have 14 of the top 200 prospects committed for 2026. The 2027 class is loaded, with 10 of the top 100 (4 of the top 11) committed to the Vols.

Josh Elander will be set up for success in year one. This roster is super talented. My enthusiasm and Omaha expectations for 2026 have not diminished. GBO.