Giants hire Tony Vitello to manage, college coach jump to MLB

Tony Vitello, the University of Tennessee baseball coach who built the Volunteers into a national power, has agreed to become the next manager of the San Francisco Giants, multiple people familiar with the situation said Wednesday. The 47-year-old’s move completes an unprecedented jump from college baseball directly to a major league dugout and will replace Bob Melvin, who was dismissed after an 81-81 season in 2025.

Vitello took over Tennessee in 2018 and compiled a 341-131 record over eight seasons, guiding the Volunteers to three College World Series appearances and the program’s first national championship in 2024. He is widely credited with modernizing Tennessee’s recruiting and player-development practices and with using analytics and an energetic, high-intensity approach to shift the program’s culture. Several of his former players have reached the major leagues, and a number are in the Giants organization, a factor that drew explicit interest from the club’s front office.

Giants leadership, led by president of baseball operations Buster Posey, pursued a candidate they said would bring a fresh voice and a stronger clubhouse presence after consecutive seasons without a...