EMBRACING NEW ROLE AS VOLS HEAD COACH
January 31, 2018
By Rhiannon Potkey, UTSports.com
Other than the nameplate on the door, there are few distinctive items inside that let anyone know they are visiting Tony Vitello's office.
The new Tennessee baseball coach has been so immersed in trying to resurrect a program, he's neglected to enhance his spartan surroundings since being hired last June.
"It's almost embarrassing that I haven't decorated my office yet. I plan to do it by the first game," said Vitello, who spent the last four seasons as an assistant coach/recruiting coordinator at Arkansas. "I am still pulling stuff out of my apartment from my office in Arkansas and putting it in this office piece by piece."
Vitello has about two weeks to finish his interior designing.
He will be making his college head coaching debut on Feb. 16 when the Vols open the season with a three-game series against Maryland at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
Although Vitello's been on the job seven months, it still feels like a bit of a whirlwind to him. The day after his introductory press conference, he hit the ground running.
Vitello began building his coaching staff, developing the Tennessee players on the roster and stocking the program with recruits for the future.
Vitello was reminded just how much time had passed recently when a former shortstop sent a text message asking if Vitello received his congratulatory message back in June.
Vitello scrolled up on his phone and realized he never responded. He soon discovered numerous other text messages and emails from friends, former players and colleagues that went unreturned.
"At the time, I kind of threw my arms up and got right to work here," Vitello said. "I had to stay ahead of the curve and focus on the people that would affect our program immediately like recruits and hiring a staff. That is where my main focus was. Hopefully, no one still thinks I am rude."
Having never been a Division I head coach before, Vitello is learning about all the extra responsibilities that come with being the face of a major program.
"I think it's a lot easier to keep your head in the sand and just grind away as a recruiter because your job is to get good players, period. It's a very simple assignment and you can close yourself off and just do your job," Vitello said. "But here, it is a much bigger deal. You have to kind of wrap your arms around donors and fans and alumni and come up with marketing ideas during the season. You come across a lot of people you don't want to let down."
The people Vitello has encountered in Knoxville are "as genuine and sincere and friendly as anywhere in the 50 states."
He believes establishing relationships with the community is essential, and has already received a few tips on prospective players.
"These fans are dying for baseball to be good around here. In a sense, that could add some extra pressure. But really, if you kind of pull back and sit in the office and have the right mindset, it is the same as being a recruiter and assistant coach," Vitello said. "You have your own standards and you want to make sure you meet them and let the wins and losses work themselves out. If you win enough games, everyone will love you. If you don't, they won't. It's really about peace of mind."
Arriving at Tennessee with a reputation as a preeminent recruiter, Vitello has lived up to the billing in his first few months.
Vitello and his staff, which includes Frank Anderson, Josh Elander, Ross Kivett and J.P Arencibia, have already recorded a few major victories when it comes to selling the school and the program.
"To have the success as it relates to getting Yes's from players as quickly as we did and the amount we have has surprised me," Vitello said. "I don't get into hype too much and never try to get giddy because there is always something else you have to move on to. But when you take a step back, that has been incredibly pleasing."
Vitello is trying to get to know the Knoxville area better by frequenting some local dining establishments when it's convenient.
"For me personally, it has been nice to have a coaching staff that there are a few other single guys on the staff so when practice is over and we are starving we can head right down the road for something to eat," Vitello said. "Sometimes that is when you have the best conversations when you are just sitting there fresh out of practice and reviewing things and sharing ideas."
Vitello's first priority at Tennessee was hiring assistants that fit every need, and he's been gratified by the early results.
The players have responded to their teaching and the Vols have already seen big jumps in improvement, especially from some upperclassmen.
"They have been given a breath of fresh air as cliché as it sounds. But it's given them new life and they see success at the end of the road based on the way they have been coached," Vitello said. "Some of those guys have really taken on the personality of the person who is coaching their position. It's been really great to see."
Getting the veteran players to buy into a new system has been an integral part of Tennessee's offseason growth. Seniors Benito Santiago and Brodie Leftridge and redshirt junior Richard Jackson have emerged as leaders.
"Those guys have impacted the newcomers and we have a ton of newcomers. We have no JC (junior college) players on our roster, which is almost literally maybe a first in the United States in college baseball," Vitello said. "So having those experienced guys in the locker room is really important to reach the inexperienced guys. That is the vibe I have gotten since halfway through the first semester until now."
Like new Tennessee football coach Jeremy Pruitt, Vitello is the son of a longtime coach with strong connections to his hometown.
Although the two haven't met in person yet, Vitello and Pruitt are helping each other in recruiting. Vitello was scheduled to meet with some prospective football players last weekend.
"There are about four guys that are serious two-way guys," Vitello said. "Now what ends up happening is once they are actually on campus, not many kids have the fortitude to stick with it and play both. But in the recruiting process, that can be really important to involve both."
Once the calendar flipped to January, Vitello's sense of anticipation rose to a higher level. He's been eager to focus all his energy on finally preparing for games.
"It's time to get your business in order and get rid of the clutter," he said. "As silly as it sounds, we talked to the guys about getting your apartment in order, cleaning your car, staying on top of your homework and all those things because once the season starts it's going to be full-fledged chaos."
Vitello's college head coaching debut has been years in the making. He knows it only comes once and wants to be ready.
Despite his unrelenting work ethic, Vitello always retains a trace of doubt about the future to ensure he avoids complacency.
"The fans are sitting there counting down the days and saying it will be great when opening day is here," Vitello said. "As a coach, we will be confident that day. But up to that day, we are always going to wish for one more day to get our guys ready."
January 31, 2018
By Rhiannon Potkey, UTSports.com
Other than the nameplate on the door, there are few distinctive items inside that let anyone know they are visiting Tony Vitello's office.
The new Tennessee baseball coach has been so immersed in trying to resurrect a program, he's neglected to enhance his spartan surroundings since being hired last June.
"It's almost embarrassing that I haven't decorated my office yet. I plan to do it by the first game," said Vitello, who spent the last four seasons as an assistant coach/recruiting coordinator at Arkansas. "I am still pulling stuff out of my apartment from my office in Arkansas and putting it in this office piece by piece."
Vitello has about two weeks to finish his interior designing.
He will be making his college head coaching debut on Feb. 16 when the Vols open the season with a three-game series against Maryland at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
Although Vitello's been on the job seven months, it still feels like a bit of a whirlwind to him. The day after his introductory press conference, he hit the ground running.
Vitello began building his coaching staff, developing the Tennessee players on the roster and stocking the program with recruits for the future.
Vitello was reminded just how much time had passed recently when a former shortstop sent a text message asking if Vitello received his congratulatory message back in June.
Vitello scrolled up on his phone and realized he never responded. He soon discovered numerous other text messages and emails from friends, former players and colleagues that went unreturned.
"At the time, I kind of threw my arms up and got right to work here," Vitello said. "I had to stay ahead of the curve and focus on the people that would affect our program immediately like recruits and hiring a staff. That is where my main focus was. Hopefully, no one still thinks I am rude."
Having never been a Division I head coach before, Vitello is learning about all the extra responsibilities that come with being the face of a major program.
"I think it's a lot easier to keep your head in the sand and just grind away as a recruiter because your job is to get good players, period. It's a very simple assignment and you can close yourself off and just do your job," Vitello said. "But here, it is a much bigger deal. You have to kind of wrap your arms around donors and fans and alumni and come up with marketing ideas during the season. You come across a lot of people you don't want to let down."
The people Vitello has encountered in Knoxville are "as genuine and sincere and friendly as anywhere in the 50 states."
He believes establishing relationships with the community is essential, and has already received a few tips on prospective players.
"These fans are dying for baseball to be good around here. In a sense, that could add some extra pressure. But really, if you kind of pull back and sit in the office and have the right mindset, it is the same as being a recruiter and assistant coach," Vitello said. "You have your own standards and you want to make sure you meet them and let the wins and losses work themselves out. If you win enough games, everyone will love you. If you don't, they won't. It's really about peace of mind."
Arriving at Tennessee with a reputation as a preeminent recruiter, Vitello has lived up to the billing in his first few months.
Vitello and his staff, which includes Frank Anderson, Josh Elander, Ross Kivett and J.P Arencibia, have already recorded a few major victories when it comes to selling the school and the program.
"To have the success as it relates to getting Yes's from players as quickly as we did and the amount we have has surprised me," Vitello said. "I don't get into hype too much and never try to get giddy because there is always something else you have to move on to. But when you take a step back, that has been incredibly pleasing."
Vitello is trying to get to know the Knoxville area better by frequenting some local dining establishments when it's convenient.
"For me personally, it has been nice to have a coaching staff that there are a few other single guys on the staff so when practice is over and we are starving we can head right down the road for something to eat," Vitello said. "Sometimes that is when you have the best conversations when you are just sitting there fresh out of practice and reviewing things and sharing ideas."
Vitello's first priority at Tennessee was hiring assistants that fit every need, and he's been gratified by the early results.
The players have responded to their teaching and the Vols have already seen big jumps in improvement, especially from some upperclassmen.
"They have been given a breath of fresh air as cliché as it sounds. But it's given them new life and they see success at the end of the road based on the way they have been coached," Vitello said. "Some of those guys have really taken on the personality of the person who is coaching their position. It's been really great to see."
Getting the veteran players to buy into a new system has been an integral part of Tennessee's offseason growth. Seniors Benito Santiago and Brodie Leftridge and redshirt junior Richard Jackson have emerged as leaders.
"Those guys have impacted the newcomers and we have a ton of newcomers. We have no JC (junior college) players on our roster, which is almost literally maybe a first in the United States in college baseball," Vitello said. "So having those experienced guys in the locker room is really important to reach the inexperienced guys. That is the vibe I have gotten since halfway through the first semester until now."
Like new Tennessee football coach Jeremy Pruitt, Vitello is the son of a longtime coach with strong connections to his hometown.
Although the two haven't met in person yet, Vitello and Pruitt are helping each other in recruiting. Vitello was scheduled to meet with some prospective football players last weekend.
"There are about four guys that are serious two-way guys," Vitello said. "Now what ends up happening is once they are actually on campus, not many kids have the fortitude to stick with it and play both. But in the recruiting process, that can be really important to involve both."
Once the calendar flipped to January, Vitello's sense of anticipation rose to a higher level. He's been eager to focus all his energy on finally preparing for games.
"It's time to get your business in order and get rid of the clutter," he said. "As silly as it sounds, we talked to the guys about getting your apartment in order, cleaning your car, staying on top of your homework and all those things because once the season starts it's going to be full-fledged chaos."
Vitello's college head coaching debut has been years in the making. He knows it only comes once and wants to be ready.
Despite his unrelenting work ethic, Vitello always retains a trace of doubt about the future to ensure he avoids complacency.
"The fans are sitting there counting down the days and saying it will be great when opening day is here," Vitello said. "As a coach, we will be confident that day. But up to that day, we are always going to wish for one more day to get our guys ready."
