By Andrew Baggarly, Brittany Ghiroli and Ken Rosenthal
After just one year, it’s already become apparent that Buster Posey is anything but a traditional top baseball executive. And Posey’s unconventional choice to manage the San Francisco Giants is further proof.
Industry sources confirmed that the Giants are closing in on hiring Tony Vitello, a 47-year-old Division I head coach who transformed the University of Tennessee from a bottom-feeder in the Southeastern Conference into one of the most talented programs in the country.
The Giants did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Vitello, reached via text message, said, “There is nothing to confirm.”
Should they cross the finish line, Vitello’s hiring for a major-league managerial position would be an extraordinary and nearly unprecedented leap for someone with no professional coaching experience.
But Posey was seeking a big personality who could imbue the Giants’ clubhouse with confidence, and Vitello’s dynamism and charisma have been on full display in both his recruiting efforts as well as the Volunteers’ brash and buoyant style of play while advancing to the College World Series in three of the past five seasons.
Unlike the NFL and NBA, where several head coaches have been hired from the college ranks, it’s extremely rare for a manager to walk straight off campus and into a major-league dugout. Pat Murphy, the personable manager who led the Brewers to the NL’s best record this past season, is a former head coach at Notre Dame and Arizona State but he also spent nearly a decade as a special assistant and bench coach before taking over in Milwaukee.
Vitello almost certainly will not be paid as an entry-level hire. He is the second-highest-paid coach in Division I with an annual salary of more than $3 million, and he is leaving the comfort of his fiefdom for a job that offers anything but stability. Vitello was already making more than half the managers in the major leagues; given the cost of living in San Francisco and what he’d be leaving behind, it’s not impossible to believe that he will command one of the top salaries among his new cohort. The process of assembling his staff will be a fascinating process as well.
The Giants already have plenty of cross-pollination with Tennessee’s program. Their top pick this past July, Gavin Kilen, was a star infielder for the Volunteers. Former Tennessee shortstop Maui Ahuna is a defensive dynamo in the Giants’ minor-league system. And the Giants acquired two former Vols from the New York Mets, outfielder Drew Gilbert and right-hander Blade Tidwell, in the late-July trade that sent reliever Tyler Rogers to the New York Mets.
Nick Hundley, who was considered the early front-runner for the job, serves as special assistant to Texas Rangers GM Chris Young. Hundley was also in the mix during the Giants’ last managerial search but pulled out due to family reasons.
The Giants also spoke with former Baltimore Orioles manager Brandon Hyde. They reportedly interviewed Los Angeles Angels special assistant Kurt Suzuki and Kansas City Royals bench coach Vance Wilson for the position as well.