Tony Vitello agrees to 5-year extension with Tennessee, 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.

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.

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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.”

Tennessee made history this past season with its first national championship in program history, defeating Texas A&M in three games. Since Vitello took over on Rocky Top in 2017, the Vols have a 295-112 overall record and three College World Series appearances over the last four years.

After the year, Texas A&M lost coach Jim Schlossnagle to rival Texas, and Vitello’s name came up as a potential replacement. However, the Aggies ended up going with Michael Earley to succeed Schlossnagle, and Vitello stayed put.

Now, as Tennessee gets ready to defend its title, Vitello is locked in. In a statement, he reiterated his desire to hit the ground running and continue that quest.

“With the new hires we made this summer, we wanted to take care in solidifying what we knew was inevitable, that being our athletic department and coaching staff wanting to be teammates for a long time,” Vitello said.

“Our staff and our program take confidence in the fact that our administration is more invested in our sport than anywhere else in the country when you consider resources, their commitment to our staff and the stadium project. At the end of the day, we know our great Vol fans are the origin of these resources and we look forward to continually working hard to make them proud to be a part of Vol Nation.”