When Tony Vitello took over as the University of Tennessee’s new baseball coach in 2017, the Vols were bottom feeders.
They hadn’t won as many as 30 games for three straight years, hadn’t posted a winning Southeastern Conference record for 12 consecutive seasons and hadn’t earned an NCAA Tournament berth since 2005.
kAm%9@D6 ?F>36CD >2<6 %6??6DD66’D 7:CDE ?2E:@?2= 32D632== 492>A:@?D9:A — k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?2D9G:==6A@DE]4@>^DA@CED^32D632==^G@=D\H:?\AC@8C2>D\7:CDE\?422\32D632==\492>A:@?D9:A^2CE:4=6055bd2gbg\ba2f\``67\ggda\4337_f7676_3]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmkDEC@?8m42AEFC65 |@?52J :? 2 e\d H:?k^DEC@?8mk^2m @G6C %6I2D pU2>Aj| 2E E96 |6?’D r@==686 (@C=5 $6C:6D — 6G6? >@C6 :>AC6DD:G6]k^Am
kAm$E2CE:?8 ?62C E96 32D6>6?E @7 E96 ?2E:@?’D 36DE 32D632== 4@?76C6?46[ ':E6==@ 92D 4@>A=6E6=J EC2?D7@C>65 E96 '@=D’ AC@8C2>[ FD:?8 9:D 24F>6? 2?5 C64CF:E:?8 E@F49 E@ AC@5F46 2 E@F89\>:?565[ E@F89\E2=<:?8 8C@FA @7 A=2J6CD H9@’G6 :>A@D65 E96:C H:== @? E96 $tr — 2?5 E96 C6DE @7 E96 4@F?ECJ]k^Am
kAmx? E96 =2DE D:I D62D@?D W?@E :?4=F5:?8 E96 a_a_ D62D@?[ 92=E65 62C=J 5F6 E@ r~'xs\`hX[ ':E6==@’D '@=D 92G6 AC@5F465 E9C66 d_\H:? 42>A2:8?D[ 7:G6 }rpp E@FC?2>6?E 36CE9D[ 7@FC EC:AD E@ E96 }rpp $FA6C #68:@?2=D 2?5 E9C66 r($ 36CE9D] %6??6DD66 We_\`bX E9:D D62D@? 3642>6 E96 7:CDE $tr D49@@= E@ H:? e_ 82>6D[ 2?5 E96 '@=D 2=D@ 42AEFC65 E96 $tr C68F=2C\D62D@? E:E=6[ $tr E@FC?2>6?E 492>A:@?D9:A 2?5 ?2E:@?2= 492>A:@?D9:A — ;FDE E96 7@FCE9 E:>6 2? $tr E62> 92D 244@>A=:D965 E92E EC:A=6 A=2J]k^Am
kAm|2J36 :E’D ':E6==@ H9@ D9@F=5 36 H62C:?8 E96 7FC 4@2E E96D6 52JD[ :?DE625 @7 E96 '@=F?E66C A=2J6CD H9@’G6 9:E 9@>6 CF?D — 2 %6??6DD66 EC25:E:@? @G6C E96 A2DE 4@FA=6 @7 J62CD]k^Am
kAm%96 4@249’D DF446DD 2=D@ 92D 6G6CJE9:?8 E@ 5@ H:E9 %6??6DD66 :?:E:2E:?8 2 >2DD:G6 FA8C256 2?5 6IA2?D:@? @7 :ED 32D632== 724:=:E:6D] %96 D49@@= :D :? E96 >:5DE @7 2 ?62C=J S`__ >:==:@? C6?@G2E:@? 7@C {:?5D6J }6=D@? $E25:F>]k^Am
kAm“x E9:?< H6VG6 EC:65 E@ 3F:=5 2 DFAA@CE DE277 E92E <:?5 @7 92D E92E ,3=F6\4@==2C[ 8C:EEJ. :>286[” ':E6==@ E@=5 C6A@CE6CD 27E6C 362E:?8 E96 p88:6D] “x >62?[ H96? H6 7:CDE 42>6 E@ z?@IG:==6[ J@F H6C6 =@@<:?8 2E — x 42>6 7C@> pC<2?D2D[ ,H9:49 925. 2C8F23=J E96 36DE 72?D :? E96 =628F6 2?5 36DE DE25:F>[ 9F86 4C@H5D[ H:??:?8 EC25:E:@?]k^Am
kAm“u=@C:52 92D 8@E :?\DE2E6 A=2J6CD] '2?5J 92D E96:C ?:496 8@:?8 @?] |:DD:DD:AA: $E2E6VD 724:=:EJ :D :?4C65:3=6] ,~=6 |:DD 4@249 |:<6 q:2?4@. EFC?65 E92E E9:?8 :?E@ 2 >@?DE6C] {$&VD EC25:E:@? :D 2D 8@@5 2D :7 ?@E 36EE6C E92? 6G6CJ3@5JVD] $@ 9@H H6C6 H6 8@:?8 E@ 4@>A6E6n %92E H2D @FC 2?DH6C H96? H6 925 E92E =@?8 4@?G6CD2E:@?]”k^Am
kAm%96C6 H6C6 46CE2:?=J E:>6D @G6C E96 J62CD E92E ':E6==@’D '@=D :CC:E2E65 @AA@D:?8 E62>D 2?5 72?D[ H9@ H6C6 @776?565 3J %6??6DD66’D =@F5[ 3C2D9 2?5 :?\J@FC\7246 DEJ=6 @7 32D632==]k^Am
kAmqFE ':E6==@[ H9@ @? (65?6D52J H2D ?2>65 E96 p>6C:42 q2D632== r@2496D pDD@4:2E:@? ?2E:@?2= 4@249 @7 E96 J62C[ 76=E E96C6 H6C6 E:>6D 96 925 E@ E2<6 2? F?@CE9@5@I 2AAC@249 E@ 96=A 364@>6 4@>A6E:E:G6]k^Am
kAm“(6 <:?5 @7 925 2 E96>6 8@:?8 E96C6 E92E H6 ?66565 E@ 7:?5 2 H2J E@ >2<6 E9:D E9:?8 H@C<[” ':E6==@ D2:5] “p?5 E92E 7C6:89E EC2:? 8@E 8@:?8[ 2?5 :E ?6G6C C62==J D=@H65 5@H? F?E:= :E C62==J 8@E @FE @7 4@?EC@=[ E@ 36 9@?6DE H:E9 J@F]k^Am
kAm“qFE E92E H2D @FC ?:496] (6 8@E E@ A=2J H:E9 D@>6 2EE:EF56] (6 8@EE2’ A=2J H:E9 D@>6 8C:E] p?5 H6VC6 8@:?8 E@ 92G6 E@ 86E D@>6 8FJD E92E >2J36 5@?VE H2?E E@ D2J J6D E@ 2 D49@@= H:E9 2 36EE6C H:??:?8 C64@C5 E92? FD] p?5 8FJD =:<6 E92E[ =:<6 ,D64@?5 32D6>2? r9C:DE:2? |@@C6. 2?5 D@>6 @E96CD H:E9 D@>6 2EE:EF56[ 92G6 5@?6 2 =@E 7@C E9:D AC@8C2>]”k^Am
kAm':E6==@’D A=2J6CD 925 A=6?EJ @7 8@@5 E9:?8D E@ D2J 23@FE 9:> :? E96 27E6C>2E9 @7 %6??6DD66’D ?2E:@?2= E:E=6]k^Am
kAm~?6 H2D |FC7C66D3@C@’D sC6H q62>[ 2 q=24<>2? w:89 8C25F2E6 H9@ A@DE65 2 ae\g C64@C5 :? d` DE2CED @G6C E9C66 D62D@?D] w6’D 6IA64E65 E@ 36 2 9:89 A:4< :? E96 |2;@C {628F6 q2D632== 5C27E ?6IE >@?E9]k^Am
kAm“w6 82G6 >6 2 D9@E @FE @7 9:89 D49@@= E@ 4@>6 2?5 A=2J 32D632== :? E96 $tr[” q62> D2:5 |@?52J :? 2 E6=6G:D65 :?E6CG:6H] “v2G6 >6 2 D9@E E@ E9C@H @? E96 H66<6?5D H66< @?6 :? >J 7C6D9>2? J62C[ 2?5 96 ?6G6C EFC?65 324<[ ?6G6C EFC?65 9:D 324< @? >6] v2G6 >6 6G6CJ D9@E … w6 82G6 >6 E96 H@C=5] v2G6 >6 2? @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ CF? H:E9 :E 2?5 36 2 A2CE @7 E9:D] x’> D@ 8C2E67F= 7@C H92E 96’D 5@?6 7@C E9:D F?:G6CD:EJ[ 7@C >6 A6CD@?2==J[ 72>:=J[ >J E62>>2E6D[ 6G6CJE9:?8]”k^Am
kAm+2?56C $649C:DE[ E96 H:??:?8 A:E496C :? E96 492>A:@?D9:A 82>6[ E@@< E9:?8D 2 DE6A 7FCE96C :? 9:D AC2:D6 @7 ':E6==@[ 42==:?8 @? %6??6DD66 2E9=6E:4 5:C64E@C s2??J (9:E6 E@ <66A ':E6==@ =@4<65 FA :? z?@IG:==6 E9C@F89@FE 9:D 4@249:?8 42C66C] ':E6==@ 28C665 :? yF?6 a_a` E@ 2 4@?EC24E 6IE6?D:@? H@CE9 Sf]d >:==:@? @G6C 7:G6 J62CD] w6 62C?65 2 S`c_[___ 3@?FD 7@C =625:?8 E96 '@=D E@ E96:C 7:CDE ?2E:@?2= 492>A:@?D9:A]k^Am
kAm“%96 >2?VD =:<6 2 72E96C 7:8FC6[ E@ 36 9@?6DE[” D2:5 $649C:DE[ 2 D6?:@C 7C@> u=@H6CJ qC2?49[ v2] “x H2D 3=6DD65 6?@F89 E@ 92G6 9:> C64CF:E >6] vC@H:?8 FA :? 2 D:?8=6\>@E96C 9@FD69@=5 2?5 E2=<:?8 E@ E9:D >2? >@DE=J 6G6CJ 52J 2?5 6G6CJ H66<[ 96 H2D ;FDE =:<6 2 72E96C 7:8FC6 E@ >6]k^Am
kAm“x 4@F=5?VE 36 >@C6 92AA:6C 7@C E9:D AC@8C2> 2?5 E96 H2J :EVD 366? 3F:=E] p?5 x D66 s2??J (9:E6 324< E96C6[ D@ xV> 8@:?8 E@ AFE :E @FE E96C6i x 9@A6 E96C6VD 2 =:76E:>6 4@?EC24E 4@>:?8 D@@? 7@C 4@249 ':E6==@]”k^Am
kAmr@?D:56C:?8 ':E6==@ :D @?=J cd J62CD @=5[ 2?5 ;FDE D6G6? J62CD :?E@ 9:D %6??6DD66 DE2J[ E92E H@F=5 =:<6=J >62? 2 =@E @7 8@@5 32D632== 7@C 2 G6CJ =@?8 E:>6 @? #@4<J %@A]k^Am
