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Reports: Giants close to hiring Tennessee’s Tony Vitello as manager


The San Francisco Giants are moving toward hiring Tennessee baseball coach Tony Vitello as their next manager, The Athletic reported on Saturday.

While other media outlets confirmed that the move is trending in that direction, Vitello told Knox News on Saturday that “nothing is done.”

Vitello reportedly also had been in consideration for the managerial opening of the Atlanta Braves, who opted against bringing back Brian Snitker.

Vitello, 47, owns a 341-131 record in his eight seasons with the Volunteers, guiding the program to the College World Series in 2021, 2023 and 2024. Tennessee won the first national championship in program history in 2024.

The Giants fired Bob Melvin on Sept. 29 after two seasons as the club’s manager. Melvin posted an 81-81 record in 2025, which marked a one-win improvement from 2024.

San Francisco finished third in the National League West in 2025, 12 games behind the division-winning Los Angeles Dodgers and nine back of the playoff-bound San Diego Padres. They were two games out of the NL’s final wild-card spot.