A new frontrunner appears to have emerged for the Giants’ managerial vacancy — one that comes from a very unlikely source.
According to a report from The Athletic, the Giants are “closing in” on hiring 47-year-old University of Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello, who has transformed the Vols into one of the nation’s best collegiate programs during his eight seasons in Knoxville.
Vitello, known for his passion and intensity, has transformed Tennessee into an SEC powerhouse since being hired in June 2017, winning a College World Series in ’24, leading the Vols to three Super Regionals and posting an overall 341–131 record.
Hiring Vitello to manage San Francisco would be an outside-the-box move. Vitello has no experience managing at the professional level, and it is extremely uncommon in baseball to see such a leap.
Tennessee coach Tony Vitello, left, cheers on his players in the fifth inning of an NCAA college baseball tournament super regional game against Southern Mississippi, Sunday, June 11, 2023, in Hattiesburg, Miss. The game was a continuation of Saturday’s play which was suspended due to weather concerns. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
The closest thing to a recent comparison is Pat Murphy, who has been successful in his first two seasons as the Milwaukee Brewers’ manager after spending time coaching at Notre Dame (1988-94) and Arizona State (1995-2009).
Murphy, though, spent several years rising through the ranks before becoming a full-time manager. Following a stint as the San Diego Padres’ interim manager in June of 2015, Murphy served as the Brewers’ bench coach beginning in ’16 before becoming their manager in ’24. Vitello, by contrast, would jump straight from collegiate head coach to major-league manager.
The Giants currently feature numerous players throughout the organization who played under Vitello at Tennessee. They drafted infielder Gavin Kilen with the 13th overall pick in the 2025 MLB draft, then acquired outfielder Drew Gilbert and right-hander Blade Tidwell in the deal that sent Tyler Rogers to the New York Mets. Shortstop Maui Ahuna, a fourth-round pick in 2023, has been in the organization for three years as well.
Nick Hundley, who spent two seasons as Buster Posey’s backup catcher in 2017 and 2018, was once considered the favorite for the position but has reportedly pulled himself out of the running.
Along with Hundley and Vitello, the list of candidates who have reportedly interviewed for the position include Los Angeles Angeles special assistant Kurt Suzuki; Santa Rosa native and former Orioles manager Brandon Hyde and Kansas City Royals third-base coach Vance Wilson. Former Giants bullpen coach Craig Albernaz, now the bench coach and associate manager, also reportedly has been under consideration to replace Bob Melvin.