Tennessee baseball faces a pivotal moment following Tony Vitello’s move to the MLB to be the manager of the San Francisco Giants.
Attention has quickly turned to Josh Elander, the Vols’ longtime associate head coach and recruiting coordinator, as the leading candidate to succeed him.
Currently, pitching coach Frank Anderson serves as interim head coach.
Elander joined Tennessee as an assistant coach in August 2017. In 2022, after five seasons on Rocky Top, Tennessee promoted Elander to associate head coach.
He’s since earned a reputation as a strategic recruiter and key architect of the program’s recent success.
Former Vols outfielder, Jordan Beck posted a tweet in 2024 highlighting how pivotal Elander has been to their offensive success.
In Beck’s junior campaign in 2022, he posted single-season career bests in runs scored (70), triples (3), home runs (18) and walks (37).
Several other former players such as former pitcher, Drew Beam, voiced support on social media, highlighting his experience and leadership.
Tennessee athletic director Danny White met with Elander Wednesday to encourage him to apply for the position.
“I’m asking Josh Elander to be a candidate, and we are going to conduct a national search and expect a ton of interest because of what Tony Vitello and his staff and our fan base and everyone has built here,” White said.
“I want Josh to focus on his candidacy. He’s in the middle of a lot right now with an incoming class, and I don’t want the interview process to be an afterthought,” White continued.
There are cases where internal promotions have often led to seamless transitions and immediate program success.
At West Virginia University, associate head coach Steve Sabins took over in June 2024 . In his first season, Sabins led the Mountaineers to a 44-16 record, a Big 12 regular-season title, and a run to the NCAA Super Regionals.
Similarly, Samford University promoted Tony David from associate head coach to head coach in June 2021. In 2023, David guided the Bulldogs to both the Southern Conference regular-season and tournament championships, a first for the program since 2008.
Louisville promoted Dan McDonnell to head coach in June 2006. He led the Cardinals to a then-school record 47 wins and a College World Series berth in his first season. He directed Louisville to 13 NCAA appearances, including five additional CWS berths, solidifying his legacy at the program.
Cal State Fullerton’s Rick Vanderhook spent more than two decades as an assistant before returning as head coach. He complied 322-225 record, and multiple College World Series appearances over his 31-year tenure.
Elander’s contributions to Tennessee’s success are clear.
He has helped the Vols sign eight top-15 recruiting classes, according to Perfect Game. He has been integral in developing hitters who have elevated Tennessee’s offense into one of the nation’s most dominant.
In 2022, the Vols led the NCAA in home runs (158), doubles (156), runs scored (613), RBIs (574), slugging percentage (.604), walks (388), and total bases (1,380). The 158 homers shattered the previous program record of 107 and ranked fourth in NCAA Division I history, including the most in the BBCOR bat era (since 2011). Tennessee also led the nation in on-base percentage (.419), runs scored, and slugging percentage.
Fans, alumni, and former players such as Hunter Ensley are optimistic about Elander’s potential to continue the program’s upward trajectory.
Should Elander be promoted, he would follow a lineage of successful internal promotions across the ranks. Which has allowed programs to maintain stability while achieving measurable on-field success.
