The San Francisco Giants officially announced they have reached an agreement with Tony Vitello, head coach of the University of Tennessee baseball team, who will take over as the team's new head coach. At 47 years old, Vitello makes history as the first coach to be promoted directly from a college coaching position to an MLB head coach role without any professional baseball experience.
"I am incredibly honored and grateful for this opportunity," Vitello said in the team’s statement. "Leading this team and representing the San Francisco Giants is an exciting privilege. I can’t wait to get started and build a team culture that Giants fans can be proud of."
Since taking over the University of Tennessee baseball program in 2018, Vitello has completely transformed the team's fortunes. Before his arrival, the school had not qualified for the NCAA tournament in over a decade, but under his guidance, they have revived their success, winning the school’s first-ever national championship in 2024 and reaching the College World Series three times in the past four years. Over his eight seasons as coach, the team has achieved a winning percentage of .722.