Tennessee promotes Josh Elander to baseball coach, quickly filling vacancy left by Tony Vitello
Elander was a member of Vitello's inaugural staff and served as associate head coach for three years
By
Will Backus
•
1 min read
Tennessee will go with an in-house hire to fill the vacancy left by former coach Tony Vitello, who took the same job with the San Francisco Giants in a historic move. The Volunteers are promoting Josh Elander, the team's associate head coach since 2022, the team announced three days after Vitello's departure.
"From the outset of this national search, Josh emerged as the undeniable top choice," Tennessee athletic director Danny White said in a statement. "His relentless commitment has helped transform Tennessee baseball into a powerhouse, and we are proud to have him as our next head coach on Rocky Top. His influence inspires excellence in every aspect of our program and we look forward to continuing our quest for championships on the diamond under Josh's guidance!"
Elander followed Vitello to Knoxville as a member of his inaugural staff with the Vols in 2018. He initially served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator, and he maintained those recruiting responsibilities when he was named associate head coach three years ago.
Over the past few seasons, Elander has served as an offensive coordinator of sorts as Tennessee's third base coach. Under Elander's tutelage, Tennessee finished No. 1 nationally in home runs in 2022 and 2024.
He's also had a hand in developing 27 hitters and position players that have been selected in the MLB Draft. In his capacity as recruiting coordinator, Elander was instrumental in Tennessee signing back-to-back No. 1 ranked high school classes from 2024-25, according to Perfect Game.
"I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity here on Rocky Top," Elander said. "I'm really happy for our players to continue building on what we've already built here. The hunt continues, and we're still excited. Love this place and these people. So thankful for the best that's yet to come."
Elander has learned from some of college baseball's top coaches during his time as a player and assistant. He starred on the diamond at TCU from 2010-12, where he played under current Texas coach Jim Schlossnagle and Vitello as an assistant.
In 2016, Elander joined the Horned Frogs as a student assistant and in 2017 moved to Arkansas, where he was a volunteer coaching assistant under Dave Van Horn. Vitello was also a member of that Arkansas coaching staff.
