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Tennessee Baseball: Vols hire Arkansas assistant Tony Vitello as new head coach

By Caleb Calhoun

Jan 14, 2017; Nashville, TN, USA; The Tennessee Volunteers logo is seen on a stool at Memorial Gymnasium before a NCAA basketball game against the Vanderbilt Commodores. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 14, 2017; Nashville, TN, USA; The Tennessee Volunteers logo is seen on a stool at Memorial Gymnasium before a NCAA basketball game against the Vanderbilt Commodores. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports /
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Tennessee baseball has its new head coach. Volunteers athletic director John Currie has named Tony Vitello as Dave Serrano’s replacement.

In his first big move as Vols A.D., John Currie found Tennessee baseball’s new head coach two and a half weeks after the season ended along with Dave Serrano’s six-year tenure.

Currie will introduce Tony Vitello as the new Tennessee baseball coach on Friday, according to a report from UTSports.

Vitello, 38, has spent four seasons as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator with the Arkansas Razorbacks, and he has also spend time with the Missouri Tigers and TCU Horned Frogs.

During his four years with Arkansas, he has seen the team reach the NCAA Regionals three times and the College World Series once.

As a longtime elite recruiter, he has secured eight Top 15 signing classes, including the No. 1 class in 2014.

Here’s an excerpt of what Currie said about Vitello.

"“Proven experience evaluating and recruiting at the highest level and in the grind of the SEC was an absolute prerequisite, and Coach Vitello checks all the boxes. He has a track record of helping to build healthy and competitive programs–from those earliest relationships formed during the recruiting process through the development of young men into major league ballplayers.”"

And here’s a quote from Vitello about taking the job.

"“This is as good of an opportunity as there is in the country. I consider myself incredibly blessed to be a part of the athletic department at the University of Tennessee.”"

Vitello is already Currie’s second hire since he has taken over as athletic director of the Vols. His first was promoting Chris Woodruff to men’s tennis coach.

In both cases, he is taking a chance on unproven guys. Whether or not that’s a result of his perceived arrogance, which he seemed to have with the Kansas State Wildcats, is a mystery.

However, the Tennessee baseball hire is his biggest hire so far. So he’s on the clock with Vitello, and only time will tell if Vitello works out.

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