Giants to hire Tennessee's Tony Vitello as manager in unprecedented move

Justice delos Santos, Bay Area News Group on Oct 22, 2025

Published in Baseball

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Buster Posey was not a conventional hire when he assumed the role of the Giants’ president of baseball operations last year. It should come as no surprise, then, that Posey was equally bold and daring in his first managerial search.

The Giants have finalized a deal with Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello, who will make an unprecedented leap from collegiate head coach to major league manager despite having no experience at the professional level.

A team source initially confirmed the news, which was first reported by ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Tony to the Giants family,” Posey said in a statement. “Tony is one of the brightest, most innovative, and most respected coaches in college baseball today. Throughout our search, Tony’s leadership, competitiveness, and commitment to developing players stood out.

“His ability to build strong, cohesive teams and his passion for the game align perfectly with the values of our organization. We look forward to the energy and direction he will bring, along with the memories to be made, as we focus on the future of Giants baseball.”

Vitello, 47, will become the 18th manager since the team moved to San Francisco and replace former manager Bob Melvin, who was fired after just two seasons with the team.

When Posey was asked earlier this month what he was looking for in a new manager, Posey said he wants someone “who’s going to be obsessive about the details, obsessive about work, obsessive about getting the most out of players.” Those criteria certainly appear to apply to Vitello.

During his eight seasons in Knoxville, Vitello transformed Tennessee into one of the best collegiate programs in the country, a true SEC powerhouse whose players reflected Vitello’s passion and swagger. Vitello finishes his tenure at Tennessee with a 341-131 record, leading the Vols to a national championship in 2024 and three Super Regional appearances in ’21, ’23 and ’24.

Prior to Tennessee, Vitello served as an assistant at Missouri (2003-10), TCU (2011-13) and Arkansas (2014-17).

“I’m incredibly honored and grateful for this opportunity,” Vitello said in a statement. “I’m excited to lead this group of players and represent the San Francisco Giants. I can’t wait to get started and work to establish a culture that makes Giants faithful proud. I would like to thank Greg Johnson, Larry Baer, Buster Posey, and Zack Minasian for this responsibility and the opportunity to lead this iconic franchise both on and off the field.”

“Congratulations to Tony on this incredible opportunity to lead the San Francisco Giants,” Tennessee athletic director Danny White said in a statement. “We wish him the best as he embarks on this new chapter in his career and thank him for everything he has done to transform Tennessee baseball into a championship program.”

While it’s not uncommon in basketball or football for coaches to jump from college to the pros, there are no instances in recent history of someone making this type of leap in baseball.

The closest comparison is Pat Murphy, who has led the Milwaukee Brewers to the playoffs in his first two seasons as manager after coaching at Notre Dame (1988-94) and Arizona State (1995-2009). Murphy, though, had a more traditional rise through the ranks, spending eight seasons as the Brewers’ bench coach before becoming manager.

There will inevitably be learning curves as Vitello learns the ropes of managing in the majors. He’ll be managing roughly 90 more games compared to an average collegiate season. He’ll also be dealing with major-league veterans compared to college students. It’s also worth wondering how the intensity he displayed in Knoxville will translate to San Francisco.

Those inevitable challenges could influence how Vitello assembles his coaching staff in the coming days and weeks. Posey said earlier this month that other coaches would be recommended to the team’s new manager but iterated that the manager would have agency in building a staff.

Bench coach Ryan Christenson and third-base coach Matt Williams, who both joined the Giants after Melvin was hired, will reportedly not return next season.

The Giants have no shortage of players in their organization with direct connections to Tennessee.

This past July, San Francisco added three Vols to its organization by drafting infielder Gavin Kilen with the 13th overall pick in the 2025 MLB draft, then acquiring outfielder Drew Gilbert and right-hander Blade Tidwell in the trade that sent Tyler Rogers to the Mets. Shortstop Maui Ahuna was also drafted by the Giants out of Tennessee in the fourth round of the 2023 MLB draft. Gilbert took to Instagram following the news to express his excitement.