OXFORD, Miss. — Tony Vitello’s stunning decision to leave Tennessee baseball for the San Francisco Giants echoed through the college sports world Friday — and even included a playful nod to Ole Miss football coach Lane Kiffin.
Vitello, who turned the Volunteers into a national powerhouse, becomes the first college baseball coach to make the direct leap to Major League Baseball.
In a lengthy farewell statement, the 46-year-old acknowledged the difficulty of leaving Knoxville while joking that he hoped his move wouldn’t put him in the same category as Kiffin, whose abrupt 2009 exit for USC remains a sore memory for Tennessee fans.
“It was selfish. It was personal reasons,” Vitello said, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel. “Again, I’ve always tried to be a good teammate, but I feel like I made a selfish decision that was one I needed to make. It’s the right decision, and I just hope it doesn’t give me Lane Kiffin status around here, because I feel like I’m a VFL.”
Vitello added that once someone invests in the Tennessee program, “they’re just that — a Vol For Life,” and he still considers himself one.
His departure ends one of the most successful eras in Tennessee baseball history. The Volunteers made four straight NCAA Tournament appearances under his leadership and captured the 2024 College World Series title, their first since 1951.
The Giants officially announced Vitello’s hiring Friday afternoon. San Francisco president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi said the organization was drawn to Vitello’s “energy, communication skills, and modern approach to player development.”
The Giants had been searching for a fresh perspective after finishing 78-84 last season.
Vitello’s jump from the college dugout to a big-league manager’s chair is rare.
MLB teams have increasingly turned toward analytical front offices and player-development-minded leaders, but this move represents an even bolder shift — one that values leadership and connection as much as tactical experience.
Zaidi said Vitello’s success building a culture at Tennessee made him an ideal fit.
“Tony has a unique ability to motivate and relate to players,” Zaidi said. “He’s a teacher, a communicator, and a proven winner. We believe that will translate to success at the Major League level.”
For Tennessee fans, Vitello’s farewell drew a mix of pride and humor. Many noted the irony of his Lane Kiffin comparison, a reference to the football coach’s one-year stint in Knoxville before bolting for Southern California.
Kiffin remains a polarizing figure in the state, even as he’s built Ole Miss into a top-10 team and a serious College Football Playoff contender.
Former Tennessee assistant Ed Orgeron, who coached with Kiffin during that brief 2009 season, reflected recently on what might have been if Kiffin had stayed.
“We would have won the SEC for sure,” Orgeron told On3’s Andy & Ari. “He was doing a great job. The recruiting that we were doing and the staff that he had was phenomenal. Knoxville’s a great place and a great football town.”
Vitello’s exit doesn’t carry the same controversy, but the timing still stings for Tennessee fans who had grown accustomed to competing on college baseball’s biggest stage.
Athletic director Danny White called the move “bittersweet,” saying Vitello leaves behind “a program built to last.”
“Tony brought energy, passion, and a vision that transformed Tennessee baseball,” White said in a statement. “We’re incredibly proud of what he accomplished and wish him all the best in San Francisco.”
Vitello is expected to bring at least two Tennessee assistants with him to the Giants’ staff, according to multiple reports. He will be formally introduced next week at Oracle Park.
For now, Knoxville bids farewell to the coach who brought swagger back to Lindsey Nelson Stadium and who managed to leave with humor intact.
“I’m proud of what we built here,” Vitello said. “And I’ll always be a Vol For Life, no matter where the road takes me.”
