Report: The Latest Tony Vitello Updates Via MLB Reporter

The Tennessee Volunteers have been facing their biggest challenge of the offseason. That being the possibility of arguably their best collegiate coach taking a pro manager job.

For those who are new to the situation, Tony Vitello has been heavily tied to the San Francisco Giants manager position amid their search to take over the 81-81 program come next season. This is an intriguing job for any, but for a coach to directly jump up from college to the MLB in the manager position is nearly unheard of.

This has been the talk of the fanbase, as fans have been quick to share their thoughts with the hopes of keeping Vitello in Knoxville.

More reports have started to circulate, as one started to circulate near evening time on Monday night. That report comes from an interview with @extrabaggs a.k.a Andrew Baggarly. The interview came through the Murphy & Markus Show from the KNBR X page. Here is what the reporter had to say on the interview, as he provides multiple updates.

"Everything we hear is that he does want this. And the Giants are going to have to make it worth his while to leave Tennessee... The ball is in his court, this is the guy they've offered the job to."@extrabaggs with the latest on the Tony Vitello to the Giants reports ⬇️

(via… pic.twitter.com/2Uq1CRv14v
— KNBR (@KNBR) October 20, 2025

Baggarly on Giants Needing to Make This Worth Vitello's While

Sep 20, 2025; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head baseball coach Tony Vitello watches the football game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the UAB Blazers during the second quarter at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images | Randy Sartin-Imagn Images

"Not yet. I mean there's a lot to work through, and a lot of financials involved, and another thing is, I think a complicating factor is there is a eight teams looking for a manager now. I was talking to someone else in the business this morning and they were like 'what if you get an offer from say the Twins, but you know that the Padres still want to talk to you'. It's like, what do you do? It's a really good question. I'm not suggesting that Tony Vitello is out there getting multiple major league offers. I think what we need to know is how much does he want this, and everything that we continue to hear is that he does want this, and this isn't just a way to drive up his Tennessee salary. But the Giants are going to have to make this worth his while. Not only will this be only unprecedented to hire a D1 coach straight into an MLB manager position, but I mean he is going to be basically an entry level experience guy in terms of pro baseball, and he's not going to be paid like one. I mean they are going to have to make it worth his while to leave Tennessee, so there are a lot of factors they are working through and also we know that the league does not like the teams to announce things on days that there are postseason games. Obviously, the Blue Jays made sure we had a game seven tonight (Monday)."

Baggarly on Tennessee Likely Making it Attractive For Him to Stay

"I think there's going to be an offer, yeah, they are going to try to keep him. Basically, do what they can to make it attractive for him to stay, and he is really valuable to them, obviously. We know that there's a lot of money in college baseball. I think that's one of the things that's probably happening."

Baggarly on Drew Gilbert Being a Factor

"You know what, honestly, what I knew was Drew Gilbert. And I don't know that any of this happens without Drew Gilbert. I really don't. That's one of the questions I'd be interested to ask Buster if this does end up culminating in a press conference to introduce Tony Vitello as the next manager. How much Drew Gilbert did in the clubhouse and the dugout and everything. He brings the spirit and energy. How much of that makes you wake up and think that this is what that organization needs? Maybe that's what the clubhouse needs. I didn't really know a whole lot about Tony Vitello before that. And recording this feature that I wrote about Drew Gilbert in September, it just seemed like this guy is really changing the game in a huge way, and I heard that this was going to be a challenge with this many teams looking at manager changes. The supply and demand could be out of whack. Some teams might have to look at some candidates that are a little bit more off the grid. This is the kind of guy who fits the description of what this organization needs right now. That's kind of where that started. I would be really interested in Buster's mind."

Baggarly on if Vitello Will Be the Next Giants Manager

"I mean I don't know, I really don't know. This is not something that Giants have floated out there. They have been locked down, we don't have any team sources on any of our reporting. It's all through the industry, so this is not to their advantage to have this news out there if they really want to get this guy. But he's got some choices to make. The ball's in his court really, Tony Vitello. Maybe another team will look at this and be like 'why aren't we talking to this guy?' Then another team is calling, so there's a lot of different permutations. This is the guy that they have offered the job to, now we just have to found out if they can match it up."

Baggarly on Giants Needing to Make This Worth Vitello's While

Baggarly on Tennessee Likely Making it Attractive For Him to Stay

Baggarly on Drew Gilbert Being a Factor

Baggarly on if Vitello Will Be the Next Giants Manager

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