"It wasn't until his flight landed that the Giants rookie outfielder, briefly disconnected from the world, learned that his former coach would become his current manager. It's hard to describe. I feel like I was kind of shaking at the moment, Gilbert said in a phone interview. But then, you just kind of want to get to work. That's what I learned playing under him at Tennessee he just makes you want to work all the time."
"Vitello, who will be formally introduced in a news conference at Oracle Park on Thursday, will be making an unprecedented leap from Knoxville to San Francisco. The 47-year-old has never played professionally, immediately transitioning to coaching after playing one year at Division II Spring Hill College and three years at Missouri. He has never coached professionally either, spending time as an assistant at Missouri (2003-10), TCU (2011-13) and Arkansas (2014-17) before transforming the Vols from SEC bottom dweller to national powerhouse."
Drew Gilbert learned mid-travel that his former Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello would become the San Francisco Giants' new manager and reacted with shock followed by eagerness to work. Vitello will be formally introduced at Oracle Park and makes an unprecedented jump from college to the major leagues. The 47-year-old never played or coached professionally, instead moving directly into coaching after college and serving as an assistant at Missouri, TCU and Arkansas before turning Tennessee into a national powerhouse. President of baseball operations Buster Posey hired Vitello on a multi-year contract to revive a struggling franchise.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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