Tony Vitello will leave the Tennessee baseball program to become manager of the San Francisco Giants.

The Athletic, The Knoxville News Sentinel and ESPN are among the outlets reporting the news Wednesday afternoon, after several days of speculation concerning Vitello’s next move.

The 47-year-old Vitello will become the first college coach to jump directly into a manager’s role on the Major League Baseball level. He’ll try to pump life into a Giants franchise that has not produced a team with a winning record or playoff appearance in the last four seasons.

Vitello will replace Bob Melvin, who guided San Francisco to an 81-81 mark this year.

According to reports, Vitello earned $3 million annually as the Vol coach. His buyout reportedly also is $3 million.

UT Athletics Director Da

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