Report: Tony Vitello, Tennessee adds Houston assistant Ross Kivett to staff

Houston associate head coach Ross Kivett is returning to Tennessee to work under Tony Vitello, according to a report from Kendall Rogers.

Kivett is returning to Knoxville after spending three seasons with the Cougars.

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“@Vol_Baseball is hiring Ross Kivett as its newest assistant, replacing Richard Jackson,” Rogers posted on Twitter. “Kivett spent the last three seasons as the associate head coach at @UHCougarBB, and is a very strong hire for Tony Vitello to say the least. Kiv is returning to Knoxville. #GBO“

Ross Kivett previously spent four seasons at Tennessee from 2018-2021, helping the Vols to the College World Series in his last season in Knoxville. He worked with infielders and hitters during that stretch.

Kivett then left for Houston following the 2021 season, where he has served as the hitting coach and worked with infielders.

The Cougars struggled to a 26-28 record in 2024, while Tennessee won its first national championship in program history under Tony Vitello.

Prior to getting into coaching, Kivett played college baseball at Kansas State. He was an All-American and the Big 12 Player of the Year in 2013, before being drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the sixth round of the 2014 MLB Draft.

Tony Vitello on the difficulty to win as a SEC team: ‘It’s literally insanity’

Four of the eight teams that reached the College World Series in 2024 were from the SEC.

After Tennessee defeated Texas A&M to secure its first ever national title, head coach Tony Vitello weighed in on the difficulty to rise to the top of the loaded conference.

“It’s literally insanity,” Vitello said. “We have nemeses we play against and all that, but honestly I’ve got more respect for the coaches in this league than you can ever imagine or print into words.

“Then, you add in the guys who have families and do this, I honestly can’t comprehend how you can juggle both of those things because that’s all I can do. Coach Heupel and Coach Barnes, their sports are the same. It was good to see them. You have to lean on other people to survive this thing because it is a monster and the traditions are so deep.”

Vitello conquered the monster this season. Tennessee finished the 2024 campaign with a program-high 60-13 overall record and 22-8 mark in conference play. The Volunteers won the SEC regular season title, conference tournament and national championship.

When Vitello took over the program in 2018, the Volunteers were not guaranteed to even go .500. Now, they are on the top of the college baseball world and one of the perennial powerhouses in NCAA Baseball.