Former Horned Frog Named Tennessee Volunteers' Newest Head Baseball Coach

The Elander era is set to begin in Knoxville.

June 8, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; TCU Horned Frogs catcher Josh Elander (24) heads for home after a home run off UCLA Bruins pitcher Adam Plutko (9) in the first inning of the Los Angeles super regional at Jackie Robinson Stadium. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Saturday, Josh Elander was named the 26th head coach in Tennessee Volunteers baseball history. After spending the previous three years as the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator for the Volunteers, Elander replaced Tony Vitello, who the San Francisco Giants hired as the first MLB coach in history without any prior professional experience.

Tennessee third base coach Josh Elander during a Tennessee baseball game against Samford at Lindsey Nelson Stadium at the University of Tennessee on Sunday, February 23, 2025. | Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Originally from Round Rock, Texas, Elander played three seasons with TCU Baseball from 2010 to 2012. He dominated in his freshman year and played a vital role in getting the Frogs to their first-ever appearance in the College World Series. He batted .356 with 69 hits (6th), 16 doubles (tied 4th), four triples (tied 2nd), two home runs, and 33 runs batted in over the course of 59 games. He started 51 games in his first season and held an on-base percentage of .438 and slugged at a .510 clip.

Elander backed up his freshman campaign with a strong sophomore season in Fort Worth. He became TCU’s primary backstop and started in 48 games. Batting .333 with 11 doubles on the season, Elander was named to the 2011 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team.

His junior season, though, was by far his best. Elander was the only Horned Frog to start all 62 games of the season. He batted .314 and tallied a career-high 70 hits, 11 home runs, and 43 RBIs, en route to helping the Frogs win their first-ever road NCAA Regional. Over his three seasons, Elander was a .333 hitter in 169 games.

Congrats @josh_elander! https://t.co/laebGyGKnM pic.twitter.com/PB4EM3zuFk

— TCU Baseball (@TCU_Baseball) October 25, 2025

After his junior year, Elander was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 6th round of the 2012 MLB Draft. He would go on to spend four seasons in the minor leagues, including three seasons with the Braves organization and one season in the Diamondbacks organization. He was named the Braves Minor League Player of the Year in 2013 after hitting .293 over 135 games between Single-A Rome and High-A Lynchburg.

Following his playing career, Elander returned to Fort Worth as a student assistant in 2016. He became a volunteer assistant coach at Arkansas in 2017 before taking his talents to Tennessee. From 2018 to 2022, Elander served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator before being named associate head coach in 2022 and holding the position for the next three seasons.

Jun 24, 2024; Omaha, NE, USA; Tennessee Volunteers assistant coach Josh Elander holds the national championship trophy with family after defeating the Texas A&M Aggies at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Josh Elander Career Honors:

Louisville Slugger and Ping!Baseball Freshman All-American (2010)
Mountain West All-Academic Team (2010-12)
All-Mountain West Second Team (2011)
Mountain West All-Tournament Team (2011)
USA Baseball Collegiate National Team (2011)
Capital One Academic All-American (2012)
NCAA College Station All-Regional Team (2012)
Atlanta Braves Minor League Player of the Year (2013)
Atlanta Braves Hank Aaron Award Winner (2013)

What’s Next?

Elander will have big shoes to fill in Knoxville, as Vitello leaves after nine years as head coach. While Vitello led the Volunteers to the program’s first-ever National Championship in 2024, including three College World Series appearances in the last five years, the program is in safe hands with Elander.