Skip to main content
tennessee logo

Mr. 300: Tennessee's Tony Vitello reaches milestone win

On3 imageby:Eric Cain•about 19 hours•

_Cainer

tony-vitello-poses-hilarious-question-to-jac-caglianone-at-2024-mlb-draft
Kate Luffman | Tennessee Athletics

Friday afternoon’s 5-1 Tennessee win over Samford was a big one as it was the 300th victory for coach Tony Vitello as the leader of the program.

Needing only 412 games to accomplish the feat, Vitello becomes the fastest coach in Tennessee baseball history to win 300 games. Previously, Rod Delmonico was the fastest as he racked up the milestone in 501 games.      Only three coaches in Tennessee baseball history have surpassed the 300-win mile marker. Vitello joins Delmonico who capped his Volunteer career with a 699-396 overall record in 18 seasons and Bill Wright who owned a 408-308-2 overall record in 19 years as coach.  

 “You want the real answer or smart aleck answer? They’re both kind of the same,” Vitello joked in postgame when asked about the feat. “I don’t know when that’s coming either [it happened Friday]. John Wilkerson [radio Voice] ruins my life. He’s such a great asset for the program, but he ruins my life probably about every other week [as] he throws a stat at me that I don’t want to hear. Like what our ranking is or any of that stuff. So, we’ll just leave all that up to the loving relationship with a minor bit of hate I have with John.”

Vitello clearly didn’t want to speak on the accomplishment afterwards – as in not to draw attention to himself.

The coach has managed a winning record in all seven complete seasons on Rocky Top. His first season in 2018, Vitello finished with a 29-27 overall record and was tied for sixth-place in the SEC East. A year later, the Vols were postseason bound after finishing third in the division with a 40-21 overall record. Tennessee was 15-2 to begin the 2020 season prior to the COVID pandemic cancelling the rest of the year.

Since the 2021 season, the Vols have won 216 games and made three trips to Omaha for the College World Series. Under Vitello, Tennessee won its first-every national championship in 2024. The Vols have won the SEC East three times, the SEC outright twice and have been the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament twice since the 2021 campaign.

Vitello has rewritten the Tennessee program record books, leading the country the last four seasons in wins (211), win percentage (.773), NCAA Tournament wins (25) and home runs (566). Following a national championship victory, Vitello was named the national Coach of the Year by the America Baseball Coaches Association.

Last summer following the national championship run, Vitello became then highest-paid coach in college baseball. Vitello and the University of Tennessee reached a new agreement for $3 million annually on a five-year deal that runs through June 30, 2029.

The Vols have begun the 2025 campaign with a 5-0 record.

You may also like