Coaching Option Reportedly Linked to Tennessee Baseball Job Opening

Former World Series MVP Curt Schilling has impressed interest in the Tennessee Volunteers head coaching job following the departure of Tony Vitello to the San Francisco Giants

RHP Curt Schilling (1988-2007) Xxx World Series Game 2 1078 Jpg S Bbo Ma | Robert Deutsch, USAT, USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Tony Vitello has left the Tennessee baseball program for the MLB level, choosing to lead the San Francisco Giants in the future, and there is already reports of interest in the job from notable names in the baseball community.

Three-time World Series Champion and 2001 World Series MVP, Curt Schilling had a storied career in the major leagues and he has already announced publicly that he is interested in interviewing for the Tennessee head coach job, through a report from Buster Olney of ESPN.

"With Tony Vitello moving to the San Francisco Giants, the Tennessee HC job is open -- and among those interested is longtime pitcher Curt Schilling, who lives in Tennessee," said Olney.

MLB Career

Oct 28, 2007; Denver, CO, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling celebrates after defeating the Colorado Rockies 4-3 during game 4 of the 2007 World Series at Coors Field. Boston swept Colorado in four games to win the World Series. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Schilling had an excellent pro baseball career, pitching for two decades at the major league level for teams such as the Baltimore Orioles, Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Boston Red Sox.

As an individual player, he was responsible for six All-Star game appearances while being in the mix for the Cy Young Award and the MVP award several times. He was victorious in three World Series and played in another, pitching seven times in the last series of the season, recording a 4-1 record, 2.06 ERA, and 43 strikeouts in 48 innings of work.

He played his last seasons with the Red Sox, and then would retire following his age-40 and the 20th overall season of his storied career in 2007.

Tennessee Baseball Coaching Search

University of Tennessee's Athletic Director Danny White holds a press conference after baseball coach Tony Vitello is hired by the San Francisco Giants on Oct. 22, 2025. | Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Due to the success on the field and pushes forward to be among the top in the nation in wins, facilities, and NIL investment, the job is expected to get a lot of high-level interest throughout the coaching search, something athletic director Danny White noted in his most recent press conference.

"We are going to conduct a national search and expect a ton of interest because of what Tony Vitello and his staff, and our fan base, and everyone has built here."

If Schilling is any example, the interest is going to come in every possible way from the baseball community, with the Tennessee Vols program gaining respect from the people around the sport.

Lack of Experience

Feb 3, 2012; Indianapolis, IN, USA; MLB former pitcher Curt Schilling is interviewed on radio row at the Super Bowl XLVI media center at the J.W. Marriott. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

While Schilling had a strong professional career in the sport, the same can not be said about his coaching career, or lack thereof for that matter, as he went into broadcasting the game following his retirement.

It remains to be seen if he will receive any interest from White and the hiring firm involved in the process, but the former MLB star is among the first people to publicly state their interest in the job following the departure of Vitello.

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