Giants hire Tony Vitello as manager: Tennessee coach will be first to make jump straight to MLB

The San Francisco Giants have a new manager and the team's president of baseball operations, Buster Posey, is going with an unconventional hire. They have reached a deal to hire University of Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello to be their manager. The Giants announced the deal as official Wednesday afternoon.

"We're thrilled to welcome Tony to the Giants family," Posey said in a statement. "Tony is one of the brightest, most innovative, and most respected coaches in college baseball today. Throughout our search, Tony's leadership, competitiveness, and commitment to developing players stood out. His ability to build strong, cohesive teams and his passion for the game align perfectly with the values of our organization. We look forward to the energy and direction he will bring, along with the memories to be made, and we focus on the future of Giants baseball." 

Vitello becomes the first college coach ever to jump directly to an MLB managerial job.

"I'm incredibly honored and grateful for this opportunity," Vitello said. "I'm excited to lead this group of players and represent the San Francisco Giants. I can't wait to get started and work to establish a culture that makes Giants faithful proud. I would like to thank Greg Johnson, Larry Baer, and Zack Minasian for this responsibility and the opportunity to lead this iconic franchise both on and off the field."  

Vitello, 47, has never played or coached in the professional ranks. He was an assistant coach at Missouri (2003-10), TCU (2011-13), and Arkansas (2014-17) before landing the head Tennessee job in 2018. Vitello has transformed the program, guiding the Volunteers to their first NCAA postseason appearance since 2005 in his second season as head coach.

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In 2022, the Volunteers had one of the greatest seasons in college baseball history, going 57-9 with a plus-421 run differential. Vitello led Tennessee to the College World Series in 2021, 2023, and 2024. The program won its first National Championship in 2024. In eight years as head coach, Vitello's record is 341-131 (.722).

The Giants have several former Tennessee players in their organization, including outfielder Drew Gilbert and righty Blade Tidwell, who came over in the Tyler Rogers trade with the New York Mets. San Francisco's first-round pick last year, infielder Gavin Kilen, also played at Tennessee. Gilbert, Kilen, and Tidwell all played for Vitello.

It is almost unprecedented for a college coach to jump straight into an MLB coaching role, never mind the manager position. Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy was a longtime college head coach before making the leap into the big leagues, though he spent several years as a bench coach before getting his first MLB manager job.

Vitello joins a team with the talent to win right away. The Giants have a bona fide ace in Logan Webb and a strong middle of the lineup anchored by Willy Adames, Matt Chapman, Rafael Devers, and Jung Hoo Lee. Top prospect Bryce Eldridge figures to assume a larger role in 2026 as well.

The Giants went 81-81 and missed the postseason for the fourth straight year and the eighth time in the last nine years. Manager Bob Melvin was let go after the season.