Vols, Vitello Agree to Record-Setting Contract

Two months after leading Tennessee to the top of the college baseball mountain, Tony Vitello stands alone as the sport’s top paid head coach.

The university announced a five-year extension for Vitello that will keep him on Rocky Top through 2029 and will pay him $3 million annually–a record price for a college baseball coach.  According to ESPN, that number would place Vitello among the top ten salaries for MLB managers.  Under his previous contract, Vitello earned $1.8 million annually.  The new deal also includes an increased salary pool for his assistant coaches.

Vitello finished his seventh season at Tennessee by claiming the program’s first ever national championship.  He has guided the Vols to the College World Series in three of the last four seasons and leads college baseball over that period with 211 wins.

While his salary is steep, the price to leave would be steeper.  Should Vitello leave before June 30, 2025, he would owe the university $4 million.  Texas was reported to have inquired about hiring Vitello after the Longhorns fired David Pierce in June.  The buyout drops by $1 million per year over the following two seasons and falls to $400,000 in the final year of the contract.

Baseball America ranked Tennessee seventh is its Way-Too-Early Top 25 at the end of July.