Five Things We Learned from Tony Vitello's First Press Conference with the Giants

The San Francisco Giants introduced Tony Vitello as the 40th manager in franchise history at a press conference Thursday morning at Oracle Park — a traditional setting for what stands as one of the most unconventional hires in Major League history.

In his first opportunity to address a room filled with Giants executives, Bay Area reporters, and national media, Vitello — seated between president of baseball operations Buster Posey and general manager Zack Minasian — opened with a nod to the franchise’s storied past and offered early insight into his vision for the club’s future.

"I'm fully aware of the tradition that's here and the excellence that's been brought managers like (Bruce) Bochy, Dusty Baker, the toughness from guys like (Madison) Bumgarner and (Sergio) Romo," Vitello said. "The loyalty, which is an incredibly important word to me and my family, which is epitomized by the guy to my right (Posey). The records that have been set by guys like (Barry) Bonds and (Willie) Mays and (Tim) Lincecum and everbody else."

Over the 42-minute press conference, Vitello — now the first college coach to become a Major League manager without prior pro experience — donned the Giants’ cream home jersey, wearing No. 23 beneath the signature orange-and-black cap, as he spoke about blending tradition with his own fresh perspective on leadership.

The jersey is on 👏 pic.twitter.com/yMMuKkQhae
— SFGiants (@SFGiants) October 30, 2025

At 47, Vitello revealed plenty about who he is — and how he plans to guide one of baseball’s marquee franchises. Here are five key takeaways from his first impression as the Giants’ new manager.

MLB job was a 'very recent dream' for Vitello

From the moment Vitello’s name surfaced as a potential candidate to the day he sat at the dais as the Giants’ next manager, the messages poured in — congratulations on what many assumed was a lifelong dream fulfilled.

While Vitello acknowledged that this opportunity represented the realization of a dream, he added important context: this wasn’t always his ultimate destination, as a player or as a coach.

"I never dreamed of being a major league baseball player," Vitello remarked. "I don’t know why. My skill level wasn’t very high. I think it was just so far above the clouds that I never even saw it. And for me as a coach, I was just kind of trying to make my way."

As his career matured and his résumé grew more decorated, Vitello said the idea of jumping to the professional level gradually became a more defined goal — though one he still viewed as something further down the road.

"Eventually, this did become a dream where I just kind of decided if I was blessed enough to receive this opportunity, this is something I wanted to do before I was done coaching in general," he continued. "And now I'm incredibly humbled and blessed to do so. So, it is a dream come true, but it's a very recent dream. It wasn't one I had for a while."

The challenge of a 162-game schedule was a key draw in Vitello’s decision to join the Giants

When Vitello was transforming Tennessee from a moribund program into a national powerhouse, he preached the value of embracing challenges as a way to discover what his teams were capable of. The answer proved to be quite a lot. Under his guidance, the Volunteers won the 2024 national championship and made three trips to the Men’s College World Series during his tenure in Knoxville.

Now, he faces his own personal challenge. Vitello must adapt from a college schedule that tops out around 60 games to the relentless grind of a 162-game Major League season — plus Spring Training and a potential postseason run that could push the total close to 200 games.

"I'm very well aware there's a higher sample size, so therefore, more days, regardless of how it goes, are you willing to meet that challenge?" Vitello said of the Major League schedule. "That's something we've preached to our players all the time at Tennessee. So who am I to preach that, but not do it?"

Vitello also admitted that while he approaches this challenge with personal confidence and the support of key figures like Posey, he’s equally curious to see how he’ll handle it himself.

"I wish I had an answer in my own head to be honest with you, because as I first got here, I was like, man, there are a lot of unknowns and just a lot of wonder in my mind," he said. "And of course, you can ask people and draw on previous information, but until you live it out, you don’t know what it’s going to be like.”

Vitello outlined the personalities, not the people, for his coaching staff

While Vitello was candid on several fronts — including the difficulty of leaving what he built at Tennessee and the uncertainty of handling an expanded Major League schedule — he was less direct when it came to his first coaching staff in San Francisco.

"I think at this point, it's get to this day and then push forward," Vitello said. "That doesn't mean there haven't been a ton of conversations prior to (this day)."

Instead, he chose to describe the type of personality fit he’s seeking rather than any specific person.

"To me, it doesn't have to be the brightest, the best, the most experienced, or the best resume," Vitello said. "It needs to be the guy that's going to have your back, and he's also going to have to take a leap of faith or know that, I or whoever else has their back."

Vitello will round out his coaching staff long before he fills out his first Giants lineup card. It will be intriguing — and naturally scrutinized — to see how he goes about doing so, as it marks one of his first major decisions as manager.

The Giants are expected to retain first base coach Mark Hallberg, whose strong relationship with Buster Posey and the current roster makes him a natural fit to stay on staff. Pitching coach J.P. Martinez also appears to be a strong candidate to return, given the success of the Giants’ pitching staff in 2025.

Key decisions remain in several vital areas, most notably following the departures of third base coach Matt Williams and bench coach Ryan Christenson. Where Vitello turns to fill those roles will be among the top storylines to watch this offseason.

Twitter Isn't Real Life - Viral Clips Only Part of Vitello's Style

At Tennessee, Vitello was lauded for developing a culture with roots in close relationships and swaggering confidence, a foundation that became central to the Volunteers’ rise to national prominence.

That approach endeared Vitello to a passionate fan base in Knoxville — and got under the skin of more than a few SEC rivals. His reputation at Tennessee took on a life of its own through viral clips showcasing his animated, fiery style. He was never afraid to back his players, including multiple theatrical ejections, such as this gem from a May 4 game against Auburn.

After Tony Vitello was ejected from the game, he made sure to speak his mind to each umpire. #Vols pic.twitter.com/dUxDnZCMyi
— Sam Rothman (@samrothman_) May 4, 2025

Among those just being introduced to Vitello — and understandably uncertain about his fit as a Major League manager — the viral clips reinforce a familiar narrative: that his fiery style may thrive in college, but won’t translate to the pros.

But those who know Vitello best don’t see that competitive fire as performative. They describe it as an extension of his personality — genuine, instinctive, and rooted in connection with his players.

Vitello addressed that reputation during the press conference, acknowledging that while the viral clips are part of his style, they don’t define his approach to leadership.

"Twitter is not life," Vitello said. "I know I don’t have an account — I asked before even taking the job, ‘I don’t have to get a Twitter, right?’ And they said no. I realize it’s a part of the job. There’s great information, there’s great entertainment. But one thing that I think is very beneficial to people is to know that Twitter is not life."

Vitello referenced outfielder Drew Gilbert — one of his former players at Tennessee and now in San Francisco — as an example of how perception can differ from reality. Like Gilbert, Vitello’s passion is authentic, but it doesn’t fully define him.

"You pull a three-second clip and you see Drew Gilbert doing something in college, you think he’s a maniac and maybe a maniac off the field," Vitello said. "The kid is literally a sweetheart, you know, off the field, but yeah, he’s very competitive on the field."

The Giants embodied a similar spirit during their run as regular World Series contenders more than a decade ago. Though their confidence was generally expressed in a more understated way, the 2012 club famously rallied from a 2-0 deficit in the NLDS behind fiery pregame speeches from outfielder Hunter Pence, who Vitello mentioned in his opening statement.

Those impervious bonds left an impression on a younger Vitello, who expressed admiration for those Bruce Bochy–led Giants teams and revealed a fascinating detail: he was in attendance for Game 7 of the 2014 World Series at Kauffman Stadium while serving as an assistant coach at Arkansas.

"The whole goal is to create a bond here between everybody at the top all the way down to whatever you consider the bottom of the depth chart, and all have a bond strong enough that when Alex Gordon hits a triple, everybody’s still on the same page and willing to get through that moment and come out victorious."

In one of the more lighthearted moments of the press conference, Vitello turned to his right and looked at Posey.

“It was rather intense, correct?” he asked.

“Yeah, I’ll second that. It was,” Posey deadpanned, drawing laughter from the room.

Vitello aims for a personalized clubhouse approach

One of the main points of interest in the unprecedented nature of Vitello’s hire will be how he adapts to a Major League clubhouse — one that offers greater variety in nearly every category: age, experience, nationality, and salary.

Vitello knew he would be asked about that during his press conference, and had a polished answer to return.

"I think one thing we did well at the places I’ve been, in particular Tennessee, was coach guys as individuals," Vitello said. I’ve always used the example in recruiting. You turn on a TV and watch a big league game, whether it’s last night or you’re watching the Giants play the Padres, you’re going to see nine different stances, four or five different deliveries and things like that. So it’s not an exact parallel, but just kind of use an example of it’s got to be individualistic."

Vitello elaborated on his approach to the clubhouse at several points during the press conference, noting that both veteran and young players have already reached out to welcome him as their new manager.

"Pretty cool that some of those guys beat me to the punch and reached out to me first, but just some casual going back and forth," Vitello said of his early exchanges with his future players. "And I think we all want the same thing. It’s to win. And that’s where the conversations have started to this point."

A new element for Vitello in his role as Giants manager will be the greater presence of Latin players and personnel in a Major League clubhouse — an environment he had limited experience with at the college level.

Vitello didn’t answer that question directly, instead opting to paint with a broader brush — but his message was clear: trust must first be earned by him.

"That individual has got to trust us, so to have any barriers or obstacles that are in the middle of that trust, is not a good thing, and it’s something that’s got to be approached and attacked from day one," Vitello said. "That’s probably something in the offseason that will be earmarked by not just myself, but everybody to kind of meet that challenge in particular head on.”

Throughout his first moments as Giants manager, Vitello displayed the same qualities that made him a success at Tennessee — thoughtful and charming answers, a deep respect for history and the fan base, a million-watt smile, and genuine humility about the opportunity. He also emphasized, again and again, his desire to build a culture rooted in relationships.

The entire event — from the moments leading up to the press conference to the conversations that followed — was filled with smiles, laughter, and a sense of optimism for a franchise that has lacked it for much of the past half-decade.

Buster and Tony’s big smiles on a big day pic.twitter.com/PNjZnQ9Jw7
— SFGiants (@SFGiants) October 30, 2025

Tony Vitello revealed plenty in his first impression as Giants manager. How he manages the unknowns to come will determine whether the optimism that filled Oracle Park endures.