Tennessee’s Frank Anderson named 2022 Rawlings Pitching Coach of the Year
Tennessee veteran pitching coach Frank Anderson was named the 2022 Rawlings Pitching Coach of the year, announced at the American Baseball Coaches Association Convention over the weekend in Nashville.
The Volunteers were the standard on the mound last season, under Anderson’s tutelage, leading the nation in ERA (2.51), while also placing first in WHIP (walks and hits per inning pitched), strikeout-to-walk ratio (695/164), walks allowed per nine innings and hits allowed per nine innings.
Tennessee’s starting rotation, headlined by All-American SEC Pitcher of the Year Chase Dollander, as well as a pair of star freshmen Chase Burns and Drew Beam, combined for 26 wins, three losses and 273 strikeouts. MLB Draft pick Blade Tidwell added 51 strikeouts and a 3-2 record, starting nine games on 13 appearances.
Chase Burns took home D1 Baseball and NCBWA Freshman Pitcher of the Year honors while Beam picked up the SEC Freshman of the Year accolade. In all, Anderson coached four MLB Draft picks on last year’s squad and a likely top-five pick in Dollander for this summer’s draft.
The 2023 weekend rotation Dollander, Burns and Beam have been tabbed preseason All-Americans by Perfect Game and Collegiate Baseball while veteran, versatile Camden Sewell was a Collegiate Baseball Preseason All-American.
Anderson, Tony Vitello and the Volunteers begin the 2023 campaign at the MLB Desert Invitational on the weekend of February 17, taking on Arizona, Grand Canyon and San Diego.
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Texas made another run at Frank Anderson
During a fall appearance at the Knoxville Quarterback Club at Calhoun’s on the River downtown, Vitello discussed the importance of pitching coach Frank Anderson to his program. He later admitted that Texas made another strong push for him over the offseason.
“They’ve tried to get Frank back in Texas about six times where he helped them win a national championship. It’s never worked,” Vitello said at the time. “This summer was scary as they gave him a big-time push. Coach A says ‘I don’t want to leave here. I love it here. I love you guys.’ This was his words: ‘I’m old. I don’t care what anyone thinks, so I’m just going to throw something silly out and see what they say.’ He said give me this and this and this and I’ll consider it. They said OK.”
Anderson was at Texas from 2000-2003, instructing the pitching staff. While in Austin, the coach helped the Longhorns clinch three College World Series appearances with a national championship in 2002.
“We got creative, and our administration stepped up. Frank is still with us,” Vitello said. “To be honest with you, I’ve got my stick and we all play our roles, but he is truly the glue for what goes on over there. He’s the most experienced and is incredibly competitive…I’m happy to call him a co-worker still.”
Anderson now makes $360,000 annually at Tennessee.
