MLB job openings: Here are three college coaches ex-GM Jim Bowden says could make the jump to the big leagues

For a while now, MLB teams have generally avoided hiring managers from the college ranks. With eight managerial vacancies this offseason, that could change, and former MLB general manager Jim Bowden says three names will be at the top of the list.

Bowden, who spent 16 years as a general manager and now works as an insider for CBS Sports, joined CBS Sports HQ to discuss the league's manager carousel. Now that several pitching coaches have successfully made the jump from college to the big leagues, Bowden said teams are more open to plucking managers from that level as well.

More specifically, a trio of highly successful college managers keep coming up in discussions Bowden has had with MLB executives. Link Jarrett, Tim Corbin and Tony Vitello will all get some interest from teams looking to hire a new manager this offseason.

"In all my conversations with GMs and executives around the league, there are three names that come up all the time in terms of college coaches they believe can manage in the big leagues right now," Bowden said. "There's Link Jarrett from Florida State, Tim Corbin from Vanderbilt and Tony Vitello from Tennessee. Those are the three names I keep hearing over and over again. I won't be surprised if one of the three gets one of the eight openings this offseason. That's something to watch."

Jarrett, 53, has been a manager since he took over at UNC Greensboro in 2013. He spent three years at Notre Dame from 2020-22, and he's been with the Seminoles ever since. Jarrett's overall record is 415-262 with two College World Series appearances and two more NCAA Super Regional appearances.

Vitello, 46, has taken the Tennessee baseball program to new heights since arriving in 2018. He is 341-131 with the Vols, and he led them to a national championship in 2024. He has two more College World Series appearances and four total SEC titles (regular season and tournament).

The longest résumé of that trio belongs to Corbin, a 64-year-old entering his 24th season at Vanderbilt. Corbin has more than 1,000 career wins at the college level, two national championships, five College World Series appearances, four SEC tournament championships and four SEC regular season titles.

The team most likely to give one of those managers an MLB opportunity is the San Francisco Giants. According to Bowden, Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey is keeping an open mind when it comes to potential replacements for Bob Melvin.

"In particular, watch the San Francisco Giants here because I keep hearing Buster Posey is very open to thinking out of the box and hiring one of these college coaches," Posey said.

Posey provided support for this when asked about the idea of bringing Bruce Bochy, who was fired by the Texas Rangers, back to San Francisco. Posey effectively shot down the suggestion, saying the Giants would be going a different direction.