THE VITELLO FILE

Personal Information

Full Name: Anthony Gregory Vitello
Born: Oct. 9, 1978
Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri
High School: De Smet High
College: Missouri, 2002
Career Record: 341-131

Coaching Experience

2002:
Salinas Packers, Associate Head Coach
2003:
Missouri, Volunteer Assistant Coach
2004-10:
Missouri, Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator
2011-13:
TCU, Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator
2014-17:
Arkansas, Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator
2018-present:
Tennessee, Head Coach

TENNESSEE HIGHLIGHTS

Coached Tennessee to the program's first-ever National Championship in 2024.
Earned a trio of National Coach of the Year honors in 2024 from Baseball America, the ABCA and D1Baseball.com.
Has led Tennessee to five straight NCAA Super Regionals (2021-25)
In 2024, guided the Vols to a 60-win season and the SEC Regular Season & Tournament Titles.
Led Tennessee to the College World Series in 2021, 2023 and 2024.
Has had 52 players drafted in eight seasons, including an NCAA-best 42 since 2021.
Has coached and developed 10 MLB first-round draft picks.
In 2022, led the Vols to SEC Regular Season & Tournament Titles for first time since 1995.
Guided Tennessee to its first ever No. 1 ranking and first No. 1 national seed in 2022 as UT spent 12 weeks atop the polls.
Named 2022 National Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season by Perfect Game
Named the 2022 ABCA Southeast Region Coach of the Year after leading UT to a program-record 57 victories.
Was named 2021 National Coach of the Year by the NCBWA and Perfect Game after leading UT to just its third 50-win season in program history.
Became the first head coach in program history to win multiple National Coach of the Year honors in the same year (2021).
Led the Vols to an SEC Eastern Division Title in 2021, its first since 1997.
In 2019, led Tennessee to its first 40-win season and NCAA Tournament appearance since 2005.
Led Tennessee to 29 wins in his first season, the most by a first-year head coach in program history.

ARKANSAS HIGHLIGHTS

Contributed to Arkansas becoming one of the most competitive programs in the nation during his four-year tenure
Helped the Razorbacks average nearly 38 wins per year, winning 40 or more games three times, appearing in three NCAA Tournaments and advancing to the 2015 College World Series
Coached 22 Razorbacks who were selected in four MLB Drafts

TCU HIGHLIGHTS

Helped TCU make its transition from the Mountain West to the Big 12 during his first season with the program
Lured some of the top players in the country to Fort Worth and helped the Horned Frogs to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances, including a Super Regional berth in 2012
Horned Frogs started seven freshmen, recruited by Vitello, in the Super Regional at UCLA
Final recruiting class at TCU was ranked 17th in the country, and three student-athletes he signed also played for Team USA

MISSOURI HIGHLIGHTS

Recruited and developed 19 players who were drafted by major league teams, including major leaguers Ian Kinsler, Max Scherzer, Aaron Crow, Kyle Gibson, Nick Tepesch, Doug Mathis and Justin James
Made the postseason seven times
Served as the pitching coach, while also working with the team's hitters and serving as the first base coach
Had top-25 recruiting classes in three of his final four years in Columbia, including the 2008 class that ranked No. 11 nationally by Baseball America

SALINAS HIGHLIGHTS

Finished 50-14 and helped the Packers earn their first trip to the NBC World Series in his lone season with the program

MISSOURI (PLAYER) HIGHLIGHTS

Three-year letterwinner with the Tigers (2000-02)
Earned Academic All-Big 12 Conference honors as a senior and was named to the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll twice

Tony Vitello (pronounced: vie-TELL-oh) accepted the position of head coach for the Tennessee Volunteers baseball program on June 7, 2017.

Since taking over on Rocky Top, Vitello has led the Big Orange back to national prominence and has helped establish Tennessee baseball as an SEC and national power, leading the program to its first ever National Championship in 2024 as well as six NCAA regional appearances (2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025), five NCAA super regionals (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025) and a trio of Men's College World Series appearances (2021, 2023, 2024).

A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Vitello arrived at UT following four seasons as assistant coach/recruiting coordinator at Arkansas. His rise to the head coaching ranks also included stops at Missouri (his alma mater) and TCU. He has earned a reputation as one of the elite recruiters on the college baseball landscape, having assembled 14 top-15 signing classes--including America's top-rated crop of talent in 2014 and 2024.

During a full-time, Division I coaching career spanning 22 years, Vitello has signed and developed 16 first-round MLB Draft picks and a handful of players who have gone on to play in Major League Baseball, including nine during his time at UT in Garrett Crochet, Ben Joyce, Andre Lipcius, Trey Lipscomb, Jordan Beck, Seth Halvorsen, Chase Dollander, Blade Tidwell and Christian Moore. Other notable MLB players coached by Vitello include Brandon Finnegan, Kyle Gibson, All-Star Aaron Crow, Gold Glove Award winner and All-Star Andrew Benintendi, Gold Glove Award winner and four-time All-Star Ian Kinsler and five-time All-Star and three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer.

Vitello, who has earned six National Coach of the Year honors over three different seasons at Tennessee, has recruited and developed 10 first-round picks during his tenure with the Vols, including an NCAA-leading and program-record four first rounders in the 2025 MLB Draft, led by the No. 5 overall pick in pitcher Liam Doyle. Crochet, who was selected with the 11^th overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft and became the first player to go from the draft to the big leagues without playing in the minors since Mike Leake did so with the Reds in 2010. UT has had at least two players drafted in the first round in three of the past four seasons (2022, 2024, 2025).

Tennessee has had 52 players drafted since 2018 when Vitello took over as head coach, averaging 6.5 picks per year. Since 2021, the Vols' 42 total draft picks lead the nation.

2025 Season – NCAA Super Regional

Tennessee followed up its first national championship in program history with another strong season in 2025, finishing with a 46-19 overall record, including a 16-14 mark in SEC play, and a top-12 national ranking in all final polls.

The Vols advanced to their program-record fifth consecutive NCAA Super Regional after earning the No. 14 national seed and winning the NCAA Knoxville Regional over Wake Forest, Cincinnati and Miami (OH). UT is the only program in the nation that has appeared in the super regionals in each of the last five years. Tennessee also became the first defending national champion to advance to the super regional round since Florida did so in 2018.

Tennessee was well-represented when it came to postseason honors, boasting five players that earned All-America recognition, including unanimous first-team selections in Andrew Fischer and Doyle, who was named the Perfect Game National Pitcher of the Year, the NCBWA District 3 Pitcher of the Year and the SEC Pitcher of the Year after putting together one of the most dominant seasons on the mound in program history.

Doyle was also just the third player in UT history to be named a finalist for both the Golden Spikes Award and the Dick Howser Trophy in the same season, joining Tennessee legends Chris Burke (2001) and Todd Helton (1995). The junior southpaw finished his junior campaign with a 10-4 record to go along with 3.20 ERA and 0.99 WHIP in 19 appearances (17 starts) while leading the nation in strikeouts per nine innings (15.43) and finishing second in the country with a program record 164 punchouts.

The Big Orange had nine players selected in the 2025 MLB Draft, the second-highest total in program history, including program highwater marks with eight in the first three rounds and four in the opening round (Doyle, Gavin Kilen, Fischer, Marcus Phillips).

2024 Season – National Champions, SEC Champions (Regular Season & Tournament)

Vitello and Tennessee reached the mountain top in 2024, winning the first National Championship in program history by defeating Texas A&M in the Men’s College World Series Finals. The Volunteers became the first SEC team to ever win 60 games in a season, finishing with an incredible 60-13 overall record. UT also became just the fourth program in history to win the SEC regular season crown, the SEC Tournament title and the National Championship in the same year, cementing itself as one of the greatest teams in the history of college baseball.

The Big Orange led the nation with a program-record 184 home runs, which ranks second in NCAA Division I history, just four shy of LSU’s NCAA record of 188 homers in 1997. The Vols became the first team in NCAA history to have five players hit 20 or more home runs in a single season, led by Christian Moore’s program record 34 long balls. Dylan Dreiling (23), Billy Amick (23), Blake Burke (20) and Kavares Tears (20) were the other players to reach to 20-homer mark in 2024.

Tennessee’s pitching staff was once again one of the best in the nation, as well, finishing sixth in the country with a 3.89 ERA. The Vols also finished in the top five nationally in strikeout-to-walk ratio, walks allowed per nine innings and WHIP.

The Volunteers had seven players earn postseason All-America honors, led by Burke (unanimous first-team selection) and Moore (consensus first-team selection). UT once again ranked among the national leaders in draft picks, as well, boasting eight in the 2024 MLB Draft, marking the program's most ever through 10 rounds. The eight selections were also tied for the second most in any single draft with the 2023 and 1992 teams. Moore was selected with the No. 8 overall pick, becoming the highest drafted UT player since Nick Senzel was taken No. 2 overall in 2016. Burke was also selected in the first round with the 34^th overall pick.

2023 Season – Men’s College World Series

After a rocky start to conference play in 2023, Tennessee won 11 of its final 15 SEC games before embarking on an impressive postseason run to reach the Men’s College World Series for the second time in three years. The Vols secured a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Clemson Regional, before knocking off Charlotte and No. 4 national seed Clemson to advance to the program’s third straight super regional.

Once again, the Vols had to go on the road, but were able to dispose of Southern Miss in three games to book the program’s sixth trip to Omaha. UT went on to win its first MCWS game since 2001 with a 6-4 victory over Stanford, snapping a six-game losing streak in Omaha.

The Vols had a program-record six pitchers selected in the 2023 MLB Draft, led by Dollander, who became the highest drafted player in the Vitello era after going No. 9 overall to the Colorado Rockies. In total, Tennessee had eight players chosen in the 2023 draft, which was tied for the second most in program history.

2022 Season – SEC Champions (Regular Season & Tournament)

Tennessee cemented its reemergence as an SEC and national power in 2022, setting a then-program record with 57 victories en route to winning SEC Regular Season and SEC Tournament titles.

The Volunteers achieved the program’s first No. 1 national ranking in any poll in week six of the season before settling in as the unanimous top-ranked team in week seven. UT was ranked No. 1 in at least one poll during 12 weeks of the season and spent 10 weeks as the nation’s unanimous top-ranked team.

The Vols led the nation in numerous statistical categories while setting a handful of program records along the way, including new marks for home runs (158), runs scored (613), RBIs (574), slugging percentage (.604), ERA (2.51), WHIP (1.00), opponent batting average (.199), strikeouts (695), strikeouts/nine innings (10.5) and walks allowed/nine innings (2.48), among others.

UT was one win away from making its second consecutive College World Series appearance but fell to Notre Dame in the Knoxville Super Regional. However, the Big Orange won both the SEC Regular Season and SEC Tournament championships for the first time since 1995. The Vols won the SEC Regular Season title by six games, and the eastern division crown by 10 games, both of which are the largest margins in conference history.

Tennessee became the first NCAA Division I team since at least 1972 to lead the country in both home runs and ERA. The Vols’ 158 long balls shattered the previous program record of 107 while ranking fourth in NCAA Division I history, including the most by any team in the BBCOR bat era (since 2011). UT also led the country in runs scored (613), slugging percentage (.604), strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.24), WHIP (1.00), walks allowed/nine innings (2.48) and winning percentage (.864).

Vitello was named the Perfect Game National Coach of the Year for the second season in a row and was also tabbed as the Southeast Region Coach of the Year by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA). The Vols set a program record with nine players earning postseason All-America honors, including four first-team selections, which was also a school record. Tennessee had four players earn Freshmen All-America honors, as well.

UT's 2022 record-breaking season was followed by an equally impressive showing in the 2022 MLB Draft, as a program-record 10 Vols were selected, ranking second among all schools nationally and first in the SEC. Outfielders Drew Gilbert and Jordan Beck were both taken in the first round, giving Tennessee multiple first rounders for the first time since 2007 when three Tennessee players were selected in the opening round. The Vols became just the fourth SEC team to have 10 or more players chosen in the first 20 rounds of any MLB Draft, joining the likes of Mississippi State, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt.

2021 Season – Men’s College World Series, SEC Eastern Division Champions

Tennessee continued its ascension through the college baseball ranks during an historic 2021 season. Vitello's Vols won 50 games for just the third time in program history, finishing with a 50-18 record while advancing to the College World Series for the first time since 2005. UT also hosted an NCAA regional for the first time since 2005 and hosted its first-ever super regional, sweeping LSU to punch its ticket to Omaha for the fifth time in program history. Tennessee's 50 wins were tied for the most in the country in 2021.

Under Vitello’s guidance, Tennessee won its first SEC Eastern division title since 1997 after posting a 20-10 record in league play and winning eight of its 10 conference series, including all five series on the road for the first time ever. The Vols also made their first appearance in the SEC Tournament Championship game since 1995 and advanced to back-to-back NCAA regionals for the first time since 2004 and 2005.

Vitello was named the 2021 National Coach of the Year by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and Perfect Game, becoming just the second head coach in program history to earn that honor, joining legendary Vols’ skipper Rod Delmonico, who was named National Coach of the Year by Baseball America in 1995. Delmonico led Tennessee to three of its previous four trips to the MCWS (1995, 2001, 2005) and is the program’s career leader in wins with 699 during his time on Rocky Top. With an 11-6 win over Georgia on March 19, Vitello became the fastest head coach in program history to win 100 games with the Vols, overtaking Delmonico’s mark of 163 games. Vitello needed just 153 contests to accomplish the feat.

Tennessee was ranked for the entire 2021 season and checked in as high as No. 2 in the polls on multiple occasions—the program's highest ranking ever at the time. The Vols set a program record with 16 road victories and hit 98 home runs—second most in school history at the time. UT also had five players earn All-America honors in 2021, another program record until it was broken during the 2022 season.

For the third year in a row, Tennessee was also well-represented in the MLB Draft. UT's seven total picks were tied for the sixth most among Division I programs.

2020 Season

After leading the program back to the NCAA Tournament in 2019, Vitello and the Vols looked poised to take another step forward in 2020 after a strong start to the season. The Vols were ranked as high as No. 11 in the nation after a 13-0 start to the year and were 15-2 heading into SEC play before the season was halted on March 12 and eventually canceled due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. UT's No. 11 national ranking was its highest since being ranked No. 11 in the 2007 preseason poll.

Prior to the season being canceled, Tennessee led the country in total runs (180) and runs per game (10.6) while ranking second in home runs (31), slugging percentage (.556), walks (124), on-base percentage (.442) and WHIP (0.94). The Vols were also among the national leaders in a handful of other statistical categories. Entering SEC play, 14 different players on Tennessee's roster had hit a home run, more than any other team in the nation.

The highlight of the shortened 2020 season was winning the inaugural Round Rock Classic in Round Rock, Texas. The Vols swept a loaded field that included No. 1 Texas Tech, Houston and No. 25 Stanford, outscoring those three teams by a combined score of 21-8. UT's 6-2 win over the Red Raiders to open the tournament was the program's sixth victory over a top-10 team and second over a top-ranked team since Vitello took over prior to the 2018 season.

In June's MLB Draft (shortened to five rounds), Tennessee had three players selected, which was tied for second most in the SEC and fifth most in the nation. Crochet became the program's 17th first-round pick and the first under Vitello at Tennessee, going No. 11 overall to the Chicago White Sox. Alerick Soularie was taken in the second round by the Minnesota Twins and Zach Daniels was selected in the fourth round by the Houston Astros, giving UT three picks in the first four rounds for the first time since 2007.

2019 Season – NCAA Regional

Tennessee took a major step forward as a program during Vitello's second season at the helm in 2019. The Vols went 40-21 overall and 14-16 in SEC play to finish third in the Eastern Division, the program's highest finish since 2005. Vitello led the Big Orange to their first NCAA regional since 2005, ending a 13-year drought.

The Vols exploded out of the gates in 2019 with the best start in program history, winning their first 15 games of the season. UT also won five series in SEC play (most since 2005) and finished the year with 26 victories over non-conference teams (most since 2000).

Tennessee was ranked in the Top 25 for 10 weeks, due in large part to having one of the nation's top pitching staffs and defensive teams. The Vols tied the program record with 10 shutouts (second in the country) and also finished among the national leaders in strikeout-to-walk ratio (ninth), WHIP (10^th), walks allowed/nine innings (14^th), ERA (19^th) and fielding percentage (14th).

Tennessee also had six players selected in the 2019 Major League Baseball Draft, tying the most since 2015. Andre Lipcius (third round), Garrett Stallings (fifth round), Andrew Schultz (sixth round), Zach Linginfelter (ninth round), Ricky Martinez (18^th round) and Jay Charleston (26^th round) were all among those picked.

2018 Season

In his first season at Tennessee, Vitello led the Vols to a 29-27 overall record and engineered an impressive turnaround from the year prior in SEC play. After winning just seven conference games in 2017, Vitello helped lead UT to 12 wins and three series victories in league play, including a sweep of Alabama and series victories over ranked foes Texas A&M and Kentucky. UT posted a 9-6 record at home in league play, which was the program's best since 2005.

Prior to Tennessee

Arkansas stood among the most competitive programs in the nation during Vitello's four seasons in Fayetteville, averaging nearly 38 wins per year, winning 40 or more games three times, appearing in three NCAA regionals and advancing to the 2015 College World Series.

Vitello coached 22 Razorbacks who were selected in four MLB Drafts.

Vitello's tenure with the Razorbacks was preceded by three seasons as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at TCU (which was a member of the Mountain West in his first season [2011] before joining the Big 12). Prior to that, he was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Missouri (then a member of the Big 12) for eight years.

In his three years at TCU, Vitello lured some of the top players in the country to Fort Worth and helped the Horned Frogs to a pair of NCAA tournament appearances, including a super regional berth in 2012. The Horned Frogs started seven freshmen, recruited by Vitello, in the super regional at UCLA. His final recruiting class at TCU was ranked 17th in the country, and three student-athletes he signed also played for Team USA.

During Vitello's eight years at Mizzou, the Tigers made the postseason seven times. He served as the pitching coach, while also working with the team's hitters and serving as the first base coach during his time in Columbia. Vitello's 2008 Missouri recruiting class was ranked No. 11 nationally by Baseball America, and he helped assemble top-25 recruiting classes in three of his final four years with the program.

During his time as a Tigers’ assistant coach, Vitello recruited and developed 19 players who were drafted by major league teams, including major leaguers Kinsler, Scherzer, Crow, Gibson, Nick Tepesch, Doug Mathis and Justin James.

Vitello boasts the incredibly rare distinction of having mentored both a National Hitter of the Year (Benintendi) and National Pitcher of the Year (Crow), during his coaching career. Benintendi won the 2015 Golden Spikes Award as America's top amateur baseball player while Crow claimed the 2008 Roger Clemens Award following a campaign in which he won 13 games, posted four shutouts, totaled 127 strikeouts and at one point threw 43 consecutive scoreless innings. Crow became the highest MLB Draft pick in Mizzou history when the Washington Nationals selected him ninth overall that summer.

Benintendi--drafted seventh overall by the Boston Red Sox in 2015 and the recipient of a $3.6 million signing bonus--is a prime example of Vitello's abilities in player development. From his freshman to sophomore season, Benintendi improved his batting average by 100 points and hit 19 more home runs. En route to National Player of the Year honors in 2015, he became just the third player in SEC history to lead the league in home runs and batting average. Just 421 days after being drafted, Benintendi was promoted to the Majors.

A three-year letterwinner at Missouri (2000-02), Vitello earned Academic All-Big 12 Conference honors as a senior and was named to the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll twice. Following his playing career and the completion of his management degree at Mizzou, Vitello joined the program’s coaching staff as a volunteer assistant in 2003 and completed his course work for his master's degree in business. In 2004, he was elevated to full-time assistant coach.

Vitello’s first taste in coaching was in 2002 when he served as the associate head coach for the Salinas Packers of the California Collegiate League. The Packers finished 50-14 and earned their first trip to the NBC World Series in Wichita, Kansas.

VITELLO'S NCAA APPEARANCES

*2025 NCAA Fayetteville Super Regional
*2024 College World Series (National Champions)
*2023 College World Series
*2022 NCAA Knoxville Super Regional
*2021 College World Series
*2019 NCAA Chapel Hill Regional
2017 NCAA Fayetteville Regional
2015 College World Series
2014 NCAA Charlottesville Regional
2012 NCAA Los Angeles Super Regional
2011 NCAA Fort Worth Regional
2009 NCAA Oxford Regional
2008 NCAA Coral Gables Regional
2007 NCAA Columbia (Mo.) Regional
2006 NCAA Fullerton Super Regional
2005 NCAA Fullerton Regional
2004 NCAA Fayetteville Regional
2003 NCAA Starkville Regional

*Head Coach