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Tony Vitello Turnaround Nothing Short of Brilliant for Tennessee Baseball

Jonathan Williams

Tennessee head baseball coach Tony Vitello during a NCAA baseball game at Lindsey Nelson Stadium on Saturday, May 18, 2024. Tennessee won 4-1 against South Carolina.
Tennessee head baseball coach Tony Vitello during a NCAA baseball game at Lindsey Nelson Stadium on Saturday, May 18, 2024. Tennessee won 4-1 against South Carolina. / Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA

Prior to Tony Vitello taking the head coaching job at Tennessee in 2017, the Volunteers' baseball program had made the college world series just four times since it's inception in 1947. Four times. In 1951, 1995, 2001, and 2005. Now, just seven years into the Tony Vitello regime in Knoxville, the Vols have punched their ticket to their third College World Series in four seasons.

It's quite a turnaround in Knoxville. In the seven years at Tennessee, Vitello has won 72.1% of his baseball games. Only one other coach has a win percentange over 65% and spent at least two seasons with the Vols and you have to go all the way back to the turn of the 20th century to find it. This level of winning is undprecedented at Tennessee. If Vitello were to bring a national championship to Knoxville for the first time, he will be forever entrenched in Vols history.

It's not just a matter of wins and losses with Vitello either. He's not only turned this team into perhaps the best program in baseball on a perrenial basis, but he's also bringing fans back out to the ballpark at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. So much so that they are planning a $100m renovation to the ballpark starting Monday as the Super Regional in Knoxville concluded. The Vols set multiple attendance records this season including the most attended singular game and they dramatically increased the average number of tickets sold to each contest.

Vitello is set to be paid $1.5m annually until his contract concludes in 2026. One would only assume that the 45 year-old baseball coach could be in Knoxville for quite some time.

Title Odds According to FanDuel:

  • Tennessee +270
  • Texas A&M +360
  • Kentucky +850
  • North Carolina +850
  • Clemson +1000
  • Oregon State +1300
  • Viriginia +1400
  • FSU +1400
  • Georgia +1500
  • NC State +2000
  • Florida +3000

ODDS DISCLAIMER:Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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Jonathan Williams
JONATHAN WILLIAMS

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