Tennessee isn’t just losing its baseball coach with Tony Vitello’s departure to the MLB’s San Francisco Giants, but possibly its biggest football fan. Vitello has formed a relationship with Vols football coach Josh Heupel since Heupel’s arrival in 2021, with Vitello commonly on the sideline at Neyland Stadium and Heupel attending baseball games, including the national title.
Ahead of Heupel’s press conference to preview this Saturday’s game vs. Oklahoma, he made an opening statement and quickly addressed Vitello’s departure and the introductory press conference for promoted assistant coach Josh Elander, who is now the head man of the baseball program.
“I know Coach (Josh) Elander was just introduced in here a second ago and I want to wish him, his family and everybody congratulations,” Heupel said. “Excited to see him continue to help our baseball program continue to grow. I want to wish Tony (Vitello) good luck, too, obviously. Since my first day, I’ve gotten a chance to see what he’s done in helping build that program, winning the national championship, but also what he’s done for this campus, too. So excited for him and that opportunity.”
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Vitello leaves Tennessee amidst fall practice and ahead of his ninth season as head coach. The 47-year-old head coach arrived in Knoxville in 2017 and completely rejuvenated a Vols program that lacked recent success. Tennessee returned to the NCAA Tournament in his second year as head coach and to the College World Series in his fourth year.
In Vitello’s eight seasons as head coach, he turned UT into one of the best programs in the country. Tennessee won two SEC Regular-Season and SEC Tournament championships, made the super regionals five times, made the College World Series three times and won the 2024 National Championship — the first in program history under his watch. Vitello ends his stint at Tennessee with a 341-131 record.
Heupel is in the midst of his fifth season in Knoxville, in which he’s recorded a 43-17 (23-14 SEC). He has steered Tennessee to a pair of 10-win seasons, including a berth in the College Football Playoffs a season ago.
