It's hard to believe, but Tony Vitello is no longer going to be the head coach of the Tennessee baseball team moving forward. On Wednesday, it was confirmed that the Vols legend has decided to take the open job and become the new manager of the San Francisco Giants.
Tony Vitello is officially leaving Tennessee and Danny White has explaining to do
No one can blame Vitello for this, as it was probably his dream to coach in the majors and he's no question getting a massive pay raise. Well, let's hold the phone on that second part, as it turns out money had nothing to do with Tony V's decision to leave.
That's what insider Bob Nightengale is reporting, with his sources telling him that Vitello is actually going to be taking a pay cut once he joins the Giants. It's hard to believe this is the case, but something definitely must have gone on behind closed doors in recent days to make Vitello realize this was a choice he simply had to make.
Tony Vitello, who was earning $3.3 million annually with salary and benefits, will be taking a paycut to manage the Giants in his new deal. The Giants also still owe fired Bob Melvin $4 million in 2026. https://t.co/XSzu5KZu0c
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) October 22, 2025
Danny White issued a statement following Tony Vitello taking the Tennessee job
As you might have been able to guess, plenty of people are calling out Danny White for allowing this to happen. If money had nothing to do with Vitello's decision, could it have been that the rumors of the two not being on the same page on NIL and revenue sharing played a massive role in Wednesday's news arriving?
"Congratulations to Tony on this incredible opportunity to lead the San Francisco Giants," the Tennessee AD said in a statement on Vitello leaving. "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. The growth of baseball on Rocky Top has been remarkable, culminating in the 2024 National Championship. We are committed to continuously investing in the program at a championship level across all areas. Furthermore, the upcoming $109 million renovation of Lindsey Nelson Stadium will transform it into one of the premier baseball venues, providing an exceptional experience for the best fans in all of sports. Our focus is on our players and coaching staff while finalizing the next steps in this evolving process."
The fact that White tossed in how dedicated Tennessee is to keeping the baseball program at a championship level, while also mentioning the $109 million renovation seems kinda telling, right? If anything, it has even more people talking about how things went down here.
At the end of the day, this was a life-changing decision for Vitello and everyone knows the Vols meant the world to him. When a Major League Baseball team comes calling, it's hard to say no, but with him making less money at the next level, it only confirms that this was an incredibly tough choice for him. Everyone in Knoxville wanted him to stay put, but it just wasn't meant to be there.