Tennessee Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Danny White has officially announced a five-year contract extension for National Coach of the Year Tony Vitello, ensuring his presence on Rocky Top through June 30, 2029.
“With the development of the nation’s top baseball program under Tony and his staff, we are thrilled to finalize this long-term extension,” White stated.
“Our athletics department aspires to lead in college sports, and Tony has established a baseball program that sets the benchmark for the entire sport.
The unmatched on-field performance in the best conference in the nation and the incredible enthusiasm he has generated among Vol Nation has been remarkable.”
Vitello led the Volunteers to their first national championship in program history in 2024 and earned recognition as the National Coach of the Year from multiple outlets.
A Historic 2024 Campaign
“Our goal this summer was to solidify our commitment, recognizing that both our athletic department and coaching staff have a mutual desire for a long-term partnership,” Vitello commented.
“Our team takes confidence in knowing that our administration invests more in our sport than any other program in the country, especially regarding resources, their dedication to our staff, and the stadium project.
We acknowledge that our dedicated Vol fans are the source of these resources, and we are eager to continue working hard to make them proud of being part of Vol Nation.”
Under Vitello’s guidance, the Volunteers achieved a single-season record of 60 wins and clinched both the SEC regular season and tournament titles during a historic 2024 campaign.
Breaking Records and Setting Milestones
Tennessee made history as the first SEC team to achieve 60 victories in a single season and became only the fourth conference team ever to win the SEC regular-season title, SEC Tournament title, and NCAA Men’s College World Series in the same year, solidifying its place as one of the greatest teams in the sport’s history.
Additionally, the Vols broke the long-standing trend of No. 1 national seeds failing in the postseason, becoming only the second top seed to win the MCWS since the tournament adopted its current format in 1999, joining Miami, which accomplished this in 1999.
Over the past four seasons, Tennessee has made three trips to Omaha, capturing a total of four SEC championships and three SEC eastern division titles.
Throughout these four years, the Volunteers’ 211 victories and .773 winning percentage have ranked them as the top program in the nation.
