Former UT Associate Athletic Director, Carmen Tegano said it took one interview to get his vote.
Knoxville, Tenn. – For a dozen years, Tennessee baseball was in the basement against its peers.
From 2006-2017, the Vols won more than 30 games just once and were a mind-boggling 110 games below .500 in SEC play. Often time they didn’t qualify for the SEC Baseball Tournament.
Three coaches were fired and announcer John Wilkerson too often was denied bellowing: ”Hello win column!’’
After the 2017 season, Tennessee was once again in search of a new baseball coach with a new athletic director, John Currie, overseeing the proceedings.
Would Tennessee hire an up-and-comer from a smaller school [Todd Raleigh] or a proven commodity with CWS experience [Dave Serrano]?
Both had failed at UT.
Currie gave the search committee one directive: “Make this pool as big as you can and we’re going to take our time.’’
The broad net cast included well-known head coaches and little-known assistants.
As Tennessee vetted the candidates, Assistant Athletic Director Blair DeBord kept pushing one name: Tony Vitello.
Vitello, as an assistant, had recruited DeBord to TCU.
“Every time a name would come up,’’ Tegano told Jimmy Hyams on the Rewind on Full Disclosure, “Blair would always say, `What about Vitello?’’’
UT finally got Vitello on a conference call interview.
“He blew it away,’’ Tegano said. “We all looked [at each other] and I said, `He’s got my vote.’’’
Why?
“He had legitimate answers,’’ Tegano said.
Currie wanted to know what legitimate answers sold Tegano.
“My wife said, `He’s really good-looking so he would win all the home visits with Mama,’’’ Tegano said.
“What kind of reason is that?’’ Currie responded.
“And he’s Italian,’’ Tegano added.
Vitello had been an assistant at Missouri [2003-2010], TCU [2011-13], and Arkansas [2014-17] before heading to Knoxville. He had interviewed for other head jobs before DeBord sold Currie on the hire.
“Blair DeBord is the reason we have the best baseball coach in college baseball,’’ Tegano said.
Vitello took over a deadbeat program and engendered life into Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
In Vitello’s second year, Tennessee won 40 games. In 2020, the Covid season, the Vols were 15-2 when the season was shuttered. In 2021, the Vols made the CWS. In 2022, they were ranked No. 1 and went 57-9, losing in the Super Regionals. The next two seasons, UT went to the CWS, this year winning the school’s first national championship in any sport since 2009.
After Tennessee made the 2019 NCAA Tournament and were bounced from the playoffs at Chapel Hill, N.C., Tegano told Vitello: “Man, this is wonderful.’’
Vitello’s response caught Tegano’s attention.
“He said, `It’s too bad you’re retiring because we’re not done yet,’’’ Vitello told Tegano. “If Vanderbilt can win the national championship, why can’t we?’’
Vitello’s comment proved prophetic. And given that Tennessee has made three CWS appearances in the past four years, Tegano called Tennessee “the best baseball program in America.’’
Did Tegano ever think he’d utter those words?
“Zero, no chance, not even close,’’ Tegano said.
Subscribe to Full Disclosure+to listen to part one with Carmen Tegano on The Rewind.