Giants Hire College Coach Tony Vitello as New Manager, First College Coach to Jump Straight to MLB Manager

"Tony is one of the brightest, most innovative, and most respected coaches in college baseball today, Posey said in a prepared statement. Throughout our search, Tony's leadership, competitiveness, and commitment to developing players stood out. His ability to build strong, cohesive teams and his passion for the game align perfectly with the values of our organization. We look forward to the energy and direction he will bring, along with the memories to be made, as we focus on the future of Giants baseball."

"SF Giants president Buster Posey is taking a big swing by hiring the first ever college coach with no MLB experience whatsoever as the team's new manager, as University of Tennessee coach Tony Vitello will now manage the Giants. When the San Francisco Giants fired manager Bob Melvin after two mediocre seasons, it was on Giants longtime All-Star catcher and now team President Buster Posey to pick the replacement."

"The 47-year-old Vitello most recently turned Tennessee's program from a perennial doormat to making the College World Series three times, and winning it all in 2024. He was previously an assistant with Arkansas, TCU, and his alma mater Missouri. Tony Vitello's journey from volunteer assistant to MLB manager Missouri (2003) volunteer asst (2004-11) promoted to full-time asst TCU (2011-14) asst and rec. coord Arkansas (2014-17) asst coach Tennessee (2018-25) first head coaching gig SF Giants (Pres) First MLB coach job pic.twitter.com/IT186icoRK Danny Vietti (@DannyVietti) October 22, 2025"

San Francisco Giants president Buster Posey hired University of Tennessee coach Tony Vitello as the team's new manager, 24 days after the firing of Bob Melvin. Vitello becomes the first manager to move directly from college to an MLB managerial position with no prior Major League experience. Posey praised Vitello's leadership, competitiveness, player development, team-building, and passion for the game. The 47-year-old turned Tennessee's program from a perennial doormat into three College World Series appearances and a 2024 championship. His coaching journey included volunteer roles and successive assistant positions before Tennessee.

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