Tony Vitello is reportedly leaving Knoxville after reports that he is expected to take the San Francisco Giants' open manager position.
This would be another tough blow to the Tennessee fan base, who have been convinced that Vitello would be crazy to leave one of the top programs in the country. This belief is largely because Tennessee's baseball program is where it is today due to Vitello's hard work and determination.
Tony Vitello just gave Tennessee fans hope he might not bolt for the MLB after all
That doubt is soon to become reality, though, as Vitello is near to closing the deal with the Giants, opening one of the top baseball jobs in the country. So, who could Tennessee go after with the hopes of keeping the momentum going on the diamond and continuing the baseball program's winning ways?
We already have a good idea of the type of coach Tennessee Athletic Director Danny White is going to go after. White has shown he likes a certain type of coach, including a hard-working recruiter, culture builder, and someone with a modern, distinctive style that goes against the grain.
That style of coaching has seen a lot of success in White's short tenure at Tennessee, as it perfectly matches Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel and Lady Vols basketball coach Kim Caldwell, the two biggest hires White has made at Tennessee.
Expect White to do the same with the open baseball job. It's unlikely Tennessee goes after one of the top names in college baseball, so what younger, hard-working coaches fit the mold that has brought a lot of success to Rocky Top in recent years?
1. Josh Elander
The easiest thing Tennessee could do is promote from within. Josh Elander fits the mold that White will be looking for and has experience building Tennessee's program with Vitello.
Elander has been with Tennessee since 2017, with a recent promotion in 2022 to become the Vols' Associate Head Coach and Recruiting Coordinator, and while Vitello is responsible for most of Tennessee's success, there's no doubt that Elander's impact on the Vols at the plate and the recruiting trail has been a big factor in Vitello's success.
While this would be the easiest move as it is simply a promotion, it could also be the best transition to continue the Vols' success. Elander has a great relationship with the players being recruited, current commits, and players on the roster, so there might not be a significant drop-off in production.
Elander works as Tennessee's hitting coach as well and also works with the catchers. Those are also two areas Tennessee has excelled in recent years. It's also clear that Vitello really likes Elander based on his past comments.
Elander has stepped in as interim head coach for Vitello, and he had glowing comments for Elander after doing so: "I saw my value is very low. No shock, but people now know who Josh Elander is and his value to our program," Vitello said jokingly in his return.
2. Mark Wasikowski
Mark Wasikowski would be a great hire for Tennessee. He has been the Oregon head coach since 2020, but has experience coaching as an SEC assistant at Florida and as a Big Ten head coach at Purdue and Oregon.
Oregon was in a similar position to pre-Vitello Tennessee when Wasikowski arrived in Eugene. The Ducks struggled to win half their games year-in, year-out and rarely won more than 50% of their conference games.
All that has changed with Wasikowski at the helm. In year two, he had the Ducks in the postseason and has stayed there ever since. He did the same thing at Purdue, turning around a struggling program, and led Pepperdine to a College World Series Championship as the team's captain in 1992.
Wasikowski perfectly fits the mold Tennessee is looking for in the next head coach of the Volunteers. Not only could he continue building the Vols as they search for another national championship, but he could keep the Vols at the top with the resources now available to the baseball program.
3. Nick Mingione
Nick Mingione would be a big hire for the Vols. He has been Kentucky's head baseball coach since 2016 and has built the Wildcats into an SEC contender.
He also has plenty of SEC coaching experience that could help him continue leading Tennessee as the best baseball program in the country. He has been an SEC assistant coach for ten seasons with stops at Kentucky and Mississippi State, and an SEC head coach for nine seasons, all at Kentucky.
The Wildcats have advanced to three NCAA Super Regionals under Mingione's leadership and have also advanced to the program's first-ever College World Series.
Kentucky Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart has even credited Mingione as a great recruiter, passionate coach, and tactical mind that fits the mold Tennessee is looking for in its next head coach.
"Nick Mingione is exactly the kind of coach we hoped to hire when we began our search," Barnhart said about Mingione. "His passion, tactical mind, and tireless recruiting efforts made him an important part of Mississippi State's staff during some great years for the program. More than that, he is a man of substance who is committed not only to developing young men as baseball players, but as students and people."
This would be a home run hire for the Vols, but it would also be the most expensive, which is something Tennessee has not pursued in recent coaching searches. However, this could be a strong response to losing Vitello while sustaining success.
Honorable Mentions
Some honorable mentions could be factors that affect the Vols' coaching search. These could be names of guys at smaller schools with a proven track record, or high risk high reward hires for the Vols.
The first honorable mention is East Carolina's head coach, Cliff Godwin. He checks a lot of boxes for Tennessee, but it could be tough to pull him away from his alma mater.
In his decade leading the Pirates' baseball program, he has helped get ECU to eight NCAA Regional appearances and four NCAA Super Regional appearances. He hasn't made it to the College World Series at ECU, but he has been close, including 2022 when ECU hosted its Super Regional series against Texas.
Another option for Danny White would be current West Virginia head coach Steve Sabins, who has been at West Virginia since 2016, although he wasn't named associate head coach until 2022 and head coach in 2024.
He has been a big part of the Mountaineers' rise in the college baseball ranks, including leading WVU to 44 wins and a Super Regional appearance in his first year as the head coach.
The only concern would be his lack of experience and proven success. A jump to Tennessee could prove costly for Sabins and the Vols if he is not able to pick up where Vitello left off, as he would join a stronger baseball conference and tougher recruiting challenge.
Another name that could come up is Murray State's head coach, Dan Skirka, who is coming off his first College World Series appearance at MSU.
The Racers have won at least 33 games every year since Skirka arrived in Murray, Kentucky. In 2024, the Racers won 37 games, the second-most in program history, and in 2025, the Racers won 44 games, the most in program history.
He has become one of the hottest coaches in the country, but won't get the recognition he deserves because he is at a small school. Hiring Skirka would be a significant risk for Tennessee, but could potentially have the most upside of any name in the country.