Report: Giants nearing deal to hire Tennessee's Vitello as manager

The San Francisco Giants are closing in on a deal to hire Tennessee's Tony Vitello as their manager, sources told The Athletic's Andrew Baggarly, Brittany Ghiroli, and Ken Rosenthal.

Vitello confirmed Saturday he's a candidate for San Francisco's managerial vacancy but said there was no agreement in place, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel's Mike Wilson.

A decision is expected to be made in the next 24-72 hours, reports Jeff Passan of ESPN.

Vitello could become the first skipper in MLB history to be hired from college baseball with no professional experience, according to Passan.

The 47-year-old has been the head coach of the Tennessee men's baseball team since June 2017, amassing a 341-131 record over nine seasons. He led the program to its first College World Series title in 2024, following tournament appearances in 2021 and 2023.

Before Vitello's arrival, the Vols hadn't won more than 12 games in SEC play since going 13-15 in 2007. They've surpassed that mark in six seasons under Vitello, including the last five.

Vitello was an assistant and a recruiting coordinator at Arkansas for four campaigns before moving to Knoxville.

Gavin Kilen, the Giants' No. 3 prospect, played under Vitello this past season before San Francisco drafted him 13th overall in July.

The Giants are searching for a new bench boss after firing Bob Melvin in September. San Francisco went 161-163 and failed to finish better than third in the NL West in Melvin's two seasons in charge.