A common staple on the sideline of Tennessee football games inside Neyland Stadium, former Vols baseball coach Tony Vitello has made plenty of friends with members across the athletics at UT. This includes former Tennessee special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach Mike Ekeler. The pair share fiery personalities and had gotten into some antics on the sideline.
Ekeler is now at Nebraska in the same role. He joined Josh Heupel’s staff at Tennessee in 2021 and quickly became a fan favorite. His success on special teams also garnered him plenty of praise. However, when the Huskers came calling this offseason, it was enough to reel him away.
On Thursday, Ekeler took to his X account to congratulate his friend on the move.
“Congrats my friend- called up to the majors,” Ekeler posted. “Winners WIN- Giants will Win Championships.”
Congrats my friend- called up to the majors. Winners WIN- Giants will Win Championships. pic.twitter.com/0wQPt3b3TI
— Mike Ekeler (@CoachEkeler) October 23, 2025
More From RTI: Tony Vitello Describes Timeline, Emotional Decision To Leave Tennessee Baseball
Vitello met with a few members of the media on Thursday, including RTI, and shared his thoughts on the athletic department at Tennessee.
“The athletic department. It truly is a sorority and fraternity amongst us as coaches,” Vitello said. “Danny White’s leadership, not just on the financial end with the buildings and the other things that have gone on here — just (the) direction of hiring the right people at all these specific sports sites on our campus. It goes up to (Chancellor) Donde (Plowman), who is so energetic and the same person you see every day. Of course, (University President) Randy Boyd is probably, I don’t know the other university presidents, but it’s pretty unique. How all that falls in line makes it easier on — where it’s never easy in our league, or now across the nation to have success. They put all of us in a position to have success.”
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.
