By Andrew Baggarly, Brittany Ghiroli and Ken Rosenthal
After just one year, it has already become clear that Buster Posey is anything but a traditional baseball executive. And Posey’s unconventional choice to lead the San Francisco Giants is further proof.
Industry sources have confirmed that the Giants are close to hiring Tony Vitello, a 47-year-old Division I head coach who transformed the University of Tennessee from an SEC staple into one of the most talent-rich programs in the country.
The Giants did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Vitello, reached by text message, said: “There is nothing to confirm.”
Should they cross the finish line, hiring Vitello for a major league managerial position would be an extraordinary and almost unprecedented step for someone without professional coaching experience.
But Posey was looking for a big personality who could instill confidence in the Giants clubhouse, and Vitello’s drive and charisma were on full display in both his recruiting efforts and the Volunteers’ brash, high-energy style of play. Vitello has led his teams to three College World Series appearances over the past five seasons.
Unlike the NFL and NBA, where several head coaches have been hired from the college ranks, it is extremely rare for a manager to walk straight off campus and into a major league dugout. Pat Murphy, the likeable manager who led the Brewers to the best record in the National League last season, is a former head coach at Notre Dame and Arizona State, but he also spent nearly a decade in Milwaukee as a special assistant and bench coach before taking over.
Vitello almost certainly wouldn’t get paid as an entry-level hire. He’s the second-highest paid coach in Division I with an annual salary of more than $3 million, and he’s leaving the comfort of his home base for a job that offers anything but stability. Vitello was already more than half of the major league managers; Given the cost of living in San Francisco and what he would be leaving behind, it’s not impossible to believe he would earn one of the highest salaries of his new cohort. The process of building his team would also be fascinating.
The Giants already have a lot of cross-pollination with the Tennessee program. Their first pick last 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 New York.
Nick Hundley, who was considered the early favorite for the job, is the special assistant to Texas Rangers general manager Chris Young. Hundley was also present during the Giants’ last managerial search, but withdrew due to family reasons.
The Giants also spoke with former Baltimore Orioles manager Brandon Hyde. They also reportedly interviewed Los Angeles Angels special assistant Kurt Suzuki and Kansas City Royals bench coach Vance Wilson for the job.
Athletics Joe Rexrode contributed reporting to this story.
