Tennessee band gives special shoutout to Tony Vitello at halftime vs. Chattanooga
The Tennessee marching band shouted out national championship-winning baseball coach Tony Vitello at halftime of the season opener against Chattanooga on Saturday.
Tennessee’s ‘Pride of the Southland’ marched around the field to spell out ‘Tony V’ across the 50-yard-line. This comes after Vitello led the Vols to their first national championship in baseball in program history earlier this year.
Vitello’s squad finished the season with a program record 60 wins during the 2024 season. They ultimately won the Men’s College World Series over Texas A&M in June.
Meanwhile, the football Vols are off to a strong start themselves in 2024. They headed into the locker room with a 45-0 lead over their in-state rival on Saturday. Quarterback Nico Iamaleava threw for 314 yards and three touchdowns during the first half. His passing yard total set a Tennessee first-half record, breaking Tyler Bray’s record set in 2012.
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Vitello agrees to extension with Vols, becomes highest-paid coach in college baseball
Tony Vitello and Tennessee are in agreement on a contract extension, the university announced. The five-year deal will make him the highest-paid coach in college baseball.
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Vitello’s new salary will be worth $3 million per year and run through June 30, 2029, per Volquest’s Eric Cain. He will also receive a $250,000 signing bonus and a $200,000 retroactive bonus for winning the 2024 College World Series – an increase from the $140,000 bonus under his previous contract.
Under the terms of his new contract, Vitello’s buyout starts at $4 million before June 30, 2025, and decreases by $1 million each year until 2028. That’s when it drops to $800,000 before June 320, 2028 and $400,000 in the final year of his deal.
“Tony and his staff have developed the country’s top baseball program, and we are excited to announce this long-term extension to keep Tony on Rocky Top,” Tennessee athletics director Danny White said in a statement announcing Vitello’s contract.
“As an athletics department, we aim to lead the way in college sports, and Tony has created a baseball program that sets the standard across the entire sport. The on-field results in the nation’s best conference are unmatched, and the enthusiasm he has brought to Vol Nation has been incredible to witness.”
On3’s Nick Schultz contributed to this report.